The Martian
by Fender18
Summary: Army Lt. Rei Hino is fierce, stubborn and the most formidable young warrior that Mars has to offer. Princess Minako is the stunningly beautiful and sweet heiress to the throne of Venus. When Rei is assigned as a bodyguard to the princess, two drastically different women quickly find themselves swept away in a whirlwind of emotion when they begin to develop feelings for one another.
1. Chapter 1

It was early in the morning when Rei Hino arrived at the Moon Palace. She quickly made her way down several corridors to throne room of the gargantuan castle. Upon entering the room, the Martian warrior immediately noticed the other guardians who were standing in an arc shape in front of the King and Queen. There was Ami Mizuno, of Mercury, Makoto Kino of Jupiter, Hotaru Tomoe of Saturn, Haruka Tenoh of Uranus, Michiru Kaioh of Neptune and Setsuna Meioh of Pluto. Rei could feel everyone's gaze practically penetrating right through her body as she stepped forward, only making eye contact with the King and Queen.

"Queen Serenity. King Endymion. I'm very sorry that I'm late. I don't like making excuses for myself, but travel took longer than expected. I've been traveling all night. Please accept my sincerest apologies for keeping you all waiting." Rei bowed her head in front of the King and Queen.

"Don't worry." Serenity said kindly, a small smile gracing her lips. "It's all right."

Rei silently exhaled a sigh of relief, upon realizing that the Queen was not angry with her. Truth be told, if it had been anyone other than Rei, they could have all but expected a stern tongue-lashing from the Queen of the Moon Kingdom, but Serenity had always been exceptionally fond of the young Martian. Rei took another few steps forward and quickly filled in the empty space between the guardians of Mercury and Jupiter of the inner solar system.

"Now that you're all here, let's get started." King Endymion stood up from the throne and approached the soldiers, followed by his wife.

"As some of you may already know, the Princess of Venus' twenty second birthday is rapidly approaching." Serenity said.

"And under Venusian law, an heiress to the throne of Venus must be wed on her twenty second birthday." King Endymion said. "Since the princess has yet to choose a partner, the king and queen of Venus are expecting a drastic influx of suitors to their planet vying for their daughter's heart. Due to this sudden, heavy increase of people and Venus' demilitarized state, the Venusian Kingdom has expressed a need for additional security to ensure the safety of the princess and their kingdom."

"Venus doesn't have a military?" Hotaru, the smallest and youngest of the guardians, barely even eighteen years old questioned. "Why not? I thought each planet assembled its own military."

"Most do, but Venus has been demilitarized for several centuries now." Ami spoke up. "Venusians aren't exactly known for being good fighters. It's just not in their nature."

"Correct." Endymion nodded. "Venus usually has mainly Martian soldiers stationed throughout the planet for protection."

"Endymion and I are asking the seven of you to serve as personal guards to the princess until she chooses a spouse and things begin calm down and return to normal."

"Depending on how familiar all of you are with the intricacies Venusian law, you may or may not know that a Venusian prince or princess is only permitted to wed another person of royal descent." Endymion said. "For this reason there have been and will continue to be royals from all over the universe traveling to Venus. This has already brought several imposters. So in addition to acting as body guards to the princess some of you will also be working with the Venusian government screening and verifying suitors before they will be allowed to meet the princess."

"Remember, even after a suitor has been verified as royalty, the princess is still not to go anywhere outside the palace without an escort. At least one of you must accompany her at all times." Serenity said. "You'll leave immediately. There are two pods ready and waiting to take you all to Venus right now."

As the guardians began to file out of the room, Rei was stopped by Serenity's hand on her shoulder. Rei turned around to face Queen.

"What is it, Serenity?" Rei asked.

"I want you in charge. Lead the other guardians. They're all strong. But, you're the most experienced."

Rei nodded, but didn't speak.

"Princess Minako is a bit of a free spirit and can be a little reckless. Look out for her. Keep her safe."

"Of course, Serenity. I'll protect her with my life."

"I know I can always count on you. Good luck. And have a safe trip."

"Thank you."

Rei then bowed to Serenity and Endymion and quickly made her way out of the room to catch up with the other guardians. Once she got outside the palace, Rei boarded one of the two large spacecrafts waiting nearby. Rei sat down in one of the huge, leather seats across from Ami and Makoto and buckled her seatbelt. The craft was much larger and much more luxurious than anything Rei had ever encountered during her time serving in the Martian Army.

"This thing is gigantic." Makoto said. "Why are they making us take two vehicles? We could all have easily fit in one."

"It's a safety tactic." Rei said, reaching into the small refrigerator next to her seat and retrieving a bottle of water. "The most powerful guardians should never all travel together just in case the aircraft would crash. Then we wouldn't all die together."

"It's morbid to think about, but it's smart." Ami said. "Royal families also do the same thing."

"I guess that makes sense." Makoto said.

Rei stared out the window, taking in the breath-taking views of the moon terrain and the Earth off in the distance.

"Ami, what's our ETA?" Rei asked.

"We should land on Venus around ten a.m."

"Great. Thank you." Rei nodded.

"Have either of you met the Princess of Venus before?" Makoto asked.

"I haven't." Ami said. "I've spent some time doing medical research on Venus, but the labs that I was working in weren't anywhere near the palace, so I never had the opportunity to meet the royal family."

"I haven't either." Rei shook her head. "It's actually been quite a while since I've been to Venus at all."

"Really? When Endymion said Venus usually has Martian troops stationed there, I thought for sure you'd be the one there leading them." Makoto looked at Rei. "You're Mars' strongest warrior. You guys have the most advanced military in our whole solar system."

"Well, during times of war I probably would have been stationed there. But, during peaceful times, I can make better use of my skills elsewhere. Over the last several years, during times of peace, Serenity has had me stationed all over the galaxy training soldiers and helping the other planets build up defenses."

"She might work you pretty hard, but you always were Serenity's favorite, you know." Makoto laughed.

"Not true, Mako." Rei rolled her eyes and shifted in her seat.

Rei went back to absently staring out the window watching the stars fly by and thinking about her new mission. She had never acted as a personal body guard before. As a well-respected lieutenant and tactics specialist in the Martian Army, she was much more used to actual combat in war, or instructing others on how to fight before the need arises. Although Rei thought her advanced military skills could be put to much better use than being a glorified babysitter to the Princess of Venus, she still vowed to take this mission seriously and do the best job she could.

* * *

As the aircraft began its descent into the thick clouds of the Venusian atmosphere, Rei could feel the intense heat and atmospheric pressure even from inside the pod. The climate was a far cry from what she was used to experiencing on her home planet. Once the pod had finally landed, the guardians of the inner solar system reassembled with the outer guardians and they all made their way toward the palace. Rei inhaled a few deep breaths attempting to adjust to the change in atmospheric temperature and pressure. Rei's eyes wandered up and down the castle. The castle was a pale yellow/orange hue that shown brightly in the morning sunlight. It was one of largest structures Rei had ever seen, but even so the castle was tiny when compared to the size of the Moon Palace. Rei inadvertently began walking more quickly toward the palace, she felt almost as if some kind of unseen, unexplainable force was drawing her in. The Martian found this feeling particularly odd because she never found herself overly excited to mix with royals, not that she often did. And not that she didn't love and respect Endymion and Serenity, but she just had always felt out of place when it came to interactions with people of royal descent. She always felt as though she never had much in common with them.

The other guardians fell in line behind Rei as they approached the castle. They were immediately met by one of the royal family's many servants.

"Good Morning." Rei said. "Lieutenant Rei Hino of Mars." She pulled her military identification card from her jacket and showed it to the man.

"Nice to meet you, Lieutenant, the king and queen have been expecting you and the other guardians. Everyone, please follow me."

The guardians were led through the castle, they passed several more servants hustling and bustling about the castle. Contrary to most of the other planets, many of the castle's servants were male. On Venus, women were much more highly valued than in most other cultures and the queen was the single most powerful person on the planet.

The guardians were led into the large throne room, which at the present time appeared to be empty.

"Wait here." The servant said. "I'll go get the king and queen."

As the servant exited the room, the seven guardians wandered about the room admiring the decor. The walls and ceiling were painted with landscapes of Venus and portraits of ancient mythological figures important to the Venusians.

"This artwork is so beautiful." Michiru said.

"It really is. It's amazing that this artwork is still so well preserved after hundreds and hundreds of years." Setsuna added.

"I wonder who painted them?" Haruka reached up to touch the wall's painted surface.

"Don't touch it." Michiru grabbed Haruka's hand. "You might leave fingerprints."

Michiru laced her fingers with her girlfriend's in an attempt to keep Haruka's hands occupied so that she wouldn't be tempted to touch any of the priceless artwork.

Rei leaned her head back and noticed straight above her was a huge mural depicting the Goddess Venus and God Mars along with their children.

"You know Rei, Mars and Venus were always destined to be together." Haruka said. "Maybe while you're here you'll find a nice Venusian woman for yourself." She playfully elbowed the Martian.

"Yes. After all who are we to interfere with destiny?" Setsuna joked.

"Oh I really don't think so. I'm here to complete a mission and that's all." Rei rolled her eyes. "This isn't a pleasure trip in the slightest."

"Loosen up. There's nothing wrong with having a little fun along the way." Makoto shrugged. "There are enough of us guardians to look out for the princess if you want to get away for a bit."

"Yeah, you know you've always been weak for a hot Venusian woman." Haruka laughed.

"Geez. Date a few Venusians and no one lets you forget it." Rei rolled her eyes again. "I've dated other women too."

"Well, Just make sure you're extra careful with Venusian women though or else, like Mars and Venus, you could end up with several love children of your own." Makoto laughed.

"Come on, Mako. Not in front of the kid." Rei motioned over her shoulder to Hotaru who was looking up at the mural on the ceiling.

"Hey! I'm not a kid anymore. And for the record, I'm just as strong and mature as any of you. I could destroy this whole planet if I wanted to, you know."

"Easy there, little one." Rei chuckled. "Today, your temper's almost as fiery as mine."

"I just don't understand-" Hotaru narrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

"She's right though. She's not a child anymore." Michiru interjected. "But, she hasn't had much exposure to Venusians, she's not familiar with the differences between all of us and Venusian women. Maybe a crash course in Venusian female biology would be in order?"

"Sounds like a job for a Mercurian." Rei smirked.

"Um, well..." Ami said. "Through the course of evolution, Venusian women have developed a type of anomaly that causes a possibility of a Venusian woman becoming pregnant when bodily fluids are transferred during sexual contact with another woman."

"Wait...so what you're saying is that Venusian women can get pregnant by either a man or another woman?" Hotaru asked. "That's crazy."

"Yes." Ami nodded. "It's the result of a very unusual mutation in the Venusian genetic code. We're still trying to understand it. But, it has been dubbed the 'Aphrodite Mutation.' This is something that we've never observed before in any species. We think it has something to do with Venusian hyper-sexuality and extremely high fertility causing their genes to change over time. Like with men, unprotected sex with a Venusian woman won't always result in a pregnancy, but it's definitely a possibility."

"I'm just glad that neither Neptunians nor Uranians have that kind of a mutation." Michiru said. "Isn't that right, Haruka?" Michiru smirked and winked at her girlfriend.

"Uh, yeah." Haruka chuckled sheepishly as a dark shade of red crept across her cheeks and neck.

"That's amazing though." Hotaru was unable to wipe the surprised look off of her face.

"It really is." Ami agreed. "Scientists were completely shocked when they first discovered that this was happening. Women in homosexual relationships were obviously assuming that their partners were unfaithful and had been involved with a man, but DNA tests proved that the child was a combined product of both women's DNA."

"They have advanced birth control methods to prevent pregnancies though, don't they?" Setsuna asked, looking at Ami.

"They do." Ami nodded.

"I heard it was some kind of new weird medical implant or something." Makoto said.

"Sort of." Ami said. "It's a microchip that gets injected into the back of every Venusian woman's neck when she turns thirteen. That's the age when they typically mature sexually. Once they receive the chip, the doctor can then enable it to block all regular pregnancy hormones as well as the Aphrodite Mutation and since the chip is computerized, it's simple for the doctor to disable the chip once the woman decides that she wants to try to get pregnant. Then she can begin trying immediately."

"Everything about Venusian culture is so interesting." Setsuna said.

"They're one of the most unique and beautiful races in our star system." Haruka said.

"That's for sure. Even their thrones are incredibly beautiful." Makoto took a small step closer toward the two large seats in the room.

The thrones were made entirely out of intricately etched designs and many shaped metal hearts which glittered a shiny golden color from the sunlight that shined down through a large oculus in the ceiling. These thrones looked quite drastically different from the thrones of Endymion and Serenity which were made of intricately carved wood from Earth.

"Venusians are known for their brilliant metal work." Haruka said.

"It's true." Rei nodded. "They supply the Martian Army with a lot of our weapons. They're excellent craftsmen and women."

It was only a few moments later that the guardians heard voices approaching closer and closer to the throne room. When the doors to the room opened again, the same servant who had first greeted the guardians returned with the king and queen following behind him.

"Welcome to the Venusian Kingdom." The King said, he was a tall, large and muscular man with short dark hair and dark eyes.

"We appreciate you all getting here so quickly. And on such short notice." The queen added, she was a tall, slender woman with long blonde hair and kind blue eyes.

Each guardian then took a moment to introduce themselves.

"It's nice to meet all of you." The queen smiled. "We'll have one of the servants show you to your rooms shortly. You'll be staying in the west wing of the castle. But, you should all know that Minako isn't exactly thrilled about needing to choose a mate in such a short amount of time. She's a little headstrong."

"She's met many suitors over the past two years and she just hasn't been taken with any of them." The king sighed. "If she doesn't choose a spouse soon, we'll be forced to choose for her."

"We're hoping it doesn't come to that. We'd much prefer for her to choose someone herself." The queen said.

"We're expecting many more suitors coming in to see her from all over the universe, but with so many more people coming here we're concerned about Minako's safety." The king said.

"We'd like to have at least one of you accompany Minako when she meets each suitor." The queen said. "She has three scheduled meetings for later today."

As the king and queen continued speaking, Rei became distracted by another person entering the room. Rei turned her head and noticed a young, beautiful blonde woman walking toward her, who looked much like a younger version of the queen. Rei assumed that this woman must be the princess. The princess' eyes scanned the room, looking at each guardian, but her gaze was drawn to and lingered on Rei in particular for a few long moments. Minako's deep blue eyes slowly met Rei's dark amethyst ones.

"This is our beloved only daughter, Minako." The king placed his arm around his daughter's shoulder. "These are the guardians that Serenity sent. They'll be looking after you. You're not to go outside the palace or meet any suitors without at least one of them with you."

"I already told you, I really don't need a babysitter." Minako rolled her eyes. "I'm fine on my own."

"It's precautionary, sweetie." The queen said. "We just want to keep you safe."

"Fine. How many people am I supposed to meet today?"

"Three." The king said. "The first is from the Andromeda Galaxy and scheduled to arrive later this afternoon."

"Great. I can't wait." Minako said sarcastically. "I'll be outside in the courtyard."

Minako then trudged off toward the door.

"Minako." The queen called out to her daughter.

"I'll take the first shift, Your Highness." Rei said to the queen before taking off after the blonde.

Rei jogged down the hallway and quickly caught up with Minako.

"When I said I didn't need a babysitter, I meant it." Minako called out, not even bothering to turn around. "I'm not trying to be rude, but I can take care of myself."

"In all honesty, Princess, I'm not thrilled to be a babysitter." Rei said, stepping in front of Minako and stopping her from walking any further. "With all due respect, I'm a soldier. There are a lot of other things I could be doing, but Queen Serenity sent me here specifically to look after you and that's exactly what I intend to do. Whether you like it or not is totally irrelevant."

"Well, I see someone's pretty hot headed." Minako locked eyes with Rei for a few long moments before allowing her gaze to wander, carefully eyeing the Martian up and down. "At least I can appreciate you being up front and honest with me." Minako shrugged. "I've met so many fake, pretentious people lately. It's nice to meet someone real for a change."

"As a Martian, it's my nature to be brutally honest. To the point where some might even consider it a flaw. I don't, but others might."

"So you're a Martian? I can't say I'm surprised. Makes perfect sense. So, what's your deal anyway?" Minako asked as she began walking toward the door.

"I'm not sure what you mean?"

"You're not wearing the same uniform as the other guardians. "Are you special or something?"

"I wouldn't say I'm special." Rei pushed the door open and motioned for Minako to walk outside. "But, Serenity did put me in charge. I'm a lieutenant for the Martian Army and I train a lot of soldiers on combat skills and weapon tactics, particularly archery. I have much more military experience than the other guardians. I've been in the Army since I was fifteen years old."

"I thought you had to be eighteen to join the Army?"

"You do. I lied about my age to get in."

"Didn't they ever find out?" Minako asked, looking over at Rei.

"Eventually, but not until I was seventeen, luckily they were so impressed with my skills that they didn't kick me out."

"So you do know how to fight?" Minako said, her sentence coming out as more of a question rather than a statement. "I guess that sword on your hip and bow on your back aren't just for show then?"

"Not at all."

"You're a little bit smaller than most of the other guardians though-"

Rei silently gritted her teeth. She didn't get the impression that Minako was necessarily intending to insult her, but she had always been slightly insecure about her stature. She was a little taller than Minako and much more muscled, but she was still smaller than the average Martian. Rei had always had to work twice as hard to prove herself, but anyone who doubted her always lived to regret it.

"It's not always about size. Skill level is incredibly more valuable. I can go up against the best of the best. And I'm much stronger than any man I've ever fought against."

"There's that Martian arrogance." Minako chuckled. "I was waiting for it to come out. I knew it wouldn't take long."

"That's a stereotype." Rei said, flatly.

"It's not a stereotype when it's true, Lieutenant." Minako smiled.

"Confidence and arrogance aren't the same thing and there's nothing wrong with being confident and proud. We're all good at something, we shouldn't be afraid to embrace it." Rei said, matter-of-factly.

As they slowly walked through the courtyard, Minako noticed that Rei now looked extremely uncomfortable and had begun sweating rather heavily. Rei could feel several beads of perspiration dripping down her forehead and neck as her excess body heat caused her shirt to become soaked with sweat beneath her jacket.

"Are you all right?" Minako asked. "You're sweating a lot."

"I'm fine." Rei said. "It's just taking me some time to adjust to the climate. My last mission required me to spend a lot of time in the outer solar system. It was much colder than it is here."

Rei reached into the inside pocket of her jacket and pulled out a black handkerchief with her initials stitched in red, which she used to wipe the sweat from her face.

"You can take off your jacket, you know." Minako said. "That'll help."

"I'd rather leave it on. It's part of my uniform. I'll get used to it."

"What difference does a uniform make if you drop dead of heat stroke? Come here." Minako took Rei by the hand and led her over toward the gigantic fountain in the middle of the court yard.

"Sit down." Minako said, motioning for Rei to sit on the ledge of the fountain.

"But-"

"I said sit down." Minako's tone was ridged and firm.

Not wanting to deny an order from the princess, Rei did as she was told. Minako then carefully unbuckled the straps tethering Rei's bow and arrow quiver to her body. Minako gently set the bow and quiver on the ground and unzipped the Martian's jacket before sliding it off of her shoulders and removing the jacket from Rei's body. Although Rei was still wearing a long sleeve shirt, she felt an instant wave of relief at the removal of her heavy, leather military jacket.

Minako took the handkerchief from Rei's hand and dipped it into the pool of water flowing through the fountain. She then gently dabbed the wet handkerchief over Rei's forehead and temples.

"You have to be feeling so much better already." Minako smiled softly. "Our atmosphere can be extremely harsh when you're not used to it."

"No kidding." Rei exhaled heavily and ran her fingers through her long, thick, raven hair. "I can't even remember the last time I visited Venus. Mercury isn't even quite this hot."

"It's not this bad all of the time." Minako said as she continued to dab the handkerchief over Rei's face. "You came in the middle of the summer, but it still cools off a lot at night. You should really get this shirt off too." Minako reached to undo the first button on Rei's shirt, which was now soaked with sweat and plastered to her body. "It's soaked all the way through."

"No, no, no." Rei shook her head. "I'm fine. Thank you, though."

"You nearly passed out not more than a few minutes ago." Minako rolled her eyes.

"Really. I'm okay. Please don't worry about me." Rei insisted as she rebuttoned the top button on her shirt.

"Is every Martian as horribly stubborn as you are?" Minako asked as she dipped the handkerchief back into the fountain.

"Are all Venusians as persistent and pushy as you are?" Rei countered.

Minako laughed as she gently pushed Rei's hair away from her forehead and placed the damp handkerchief just below her hairline.

"So...you know, you never did tell me your name, Lieutenant." Minako said, catching a glimpse of the letters stitched into the corner of the handkerchief, which she assumed were probably the Martian's initials.

"It's Rei. Rei Hino."

"Lieutenant Rei Hino." Minako said. "It has a nice ring to it, I think."

"I've always thought so." Rei said, a small smile inadvertently creeping across her lips.

"Oh? So you can smile after all." Minako teased. "I was starting to get worried."

* * *

A few hours later, the first of Minako's scheduled suitors for the day arrived. Rei promptly escorted Minako back to the palace to meet the prince. When they arrived back near the front entrance of the castle, Rei noticed a tall young man with tan skin and dark wavy hair exit an air craft and begin to approach the palace.

"Wait here, Princess." Rei placed her forearm in front of Minako, causing her to stop walking.

Rei quickly approached the man with her hand on her sword, poised and prepared to withdraw it from its sheath at a moment's notice, should the need arise.

Rei stepped in front of the man to stop him from advancing any further.

"State your business." Rei said firmly.

"I'm The Prince of the Andromeda Galaxy. I'm here to see The Princess of Venus."

"Are you carrying any weapons or objects that could pose a threat to the princess or myself?"

"No." The prince sighed loudly, not even trying to hide his annoyance. "Do you think we could hurry this along?"

"This will take as long as it takes." Rei said, sharply. "Turn around and place your hands against the wall."

"I don't think so." The prince said snidely as he began to walk toward the west side of the castle, where Minako was standing. "I'll go speak to the princess-"

"Hold it." Rei grabbed the man by the back of the shirt. "You won't so much as look at her until you prove your identity to me."

Although the prince was significantly larger than Rei, she was undisputedly much stronger.

"Place your hands against the wall. I won't ask you again. Failure to comply with any more of my commands will result in your immediate removal from this kingdom, by direct order of the king and queen of Venus."

Though he was now extremely annoyed, the prince did as asked and placed his hands flat on the wall in front of him. Rei then proceeded to give him a quick, yet still thorough frisk. When she was satisfied that the man did not pose a threat, she stepped back and allowed him to turn around.

"Do you have identification?"

The man rolled his eyes and pulled his identification card from his shirt pocket. Rei took the card and looked it over, she pulled a small handheld computer device from her pocket and searched in his information in the galactic database that had been created and maintained by a team of Mercurian computer engineers. The database contained extensive personal data on every person royal or otherwise, from every known star system in the universe.

"Place your right thumb on the scanner, please." Rei held the device out to the man.

"You're wasting my time. I am who I claim to be. And I really don't appreciate being treated like a common criminal." The prince said as he reached out and placed his thumb on the scanner.

"I don't care who you are and I don't know how you govern your own kingdom, but here royalty or not, no one gets in without having their identity verified first."

While he waited for the computer to scan his fingerprint, the prince looked down at the scabbard that housed Rei's sword. The scabbard was made up of intricately carved metal patterns colored black and red. The prince noticed in the middle of the scabbard was a symbol carved into the metal and colored a deep blood red shade. He instantly recognized the symbol as being the planetary insignia of Mars.

"A Martian. I should have known." The prince said, condescendingly. "Nothing but a bunch of uncivilized, moronic barbarians. All of you."

Rei narrowed her eyes, a fiery rage now burned deep within her, she took in a sharp breath and gritted her teeth, doing her best to quell her temper as she decided not to indulge the prince with so much as any response at all. As soon as the scanner came back with a positive match, Rei gave the identification card back to the prince.

"You're cleared. You may meet with the princess now."

"Don't bother, Lieutenant, I'm not even the slightest bit interested." Minako said as she walked toward Rei and the prince.

"Princess of Venus, please allow me to-" the prince began to speak.

"Stop. Don't waste your breath. I said I'm not interested." Minako said firmly, without giving the prince so much as a second glance.

"Send him away." Minako said, turning toward Rei.

"Are you sure, Princess?" Rei looked over at Minako.

"Positive." She nodded, placing her hand on Rei's shoulder. "Get rid of him."

"You heard her." Rei shrugged.

"This isn't fair." The prince said, taking a step toward Minako. "I didn't even get a chance to-"

"She said no." Rei quickly stepped in between the prince and princess. "So, you can either leave peacefully or I can throw you out. Whichever option you'd prefer is just fine with me."

The prince watched as Rei placed her hand on her sword, preparing to draw it from its scabbard. Deciding not to challenge Rei's obviously volatile temper, since he was unarmed and without any body guards, the prince clenched his teeth and stomped off back toward his pod.

"Asshole." Rei muttered under her breath.

"You know it's not true." Minako looked over at Rei, placing her hand on the lieutenant's arm.

"What's not true, Princess?" Rei asked.

"What he said about Martians. You guys are skilled, brilliant fighters. Your people have always done a great job of protecting us. Venus would be in serious trouble without Martians."

"Thank you. But, I'm really not concerned with one pompous, entitled little jackass' opinion of me or my race. I'm surprised you didn't even give him a chance though. He was an ass, but at least he was handsome." Rei shrugged. "You didn't think so?"

"He was a complete jerk to you." Minako said. "I'm not going to tolerate that. It doesn't matter what he looks like."

"Wait. You sent him away just because he was rude to me?" Rei sighed. "Princess. This isn't about me or any of the other guardians either. You need to choose a suitor to please yourself, not us. We're not important."

"Contrary to what most people may think about Venusians, I actually care about a lot more than looks. I'm not that shallow." Minako said, running off toward the entrance of the palace.

"Damn it. Would you stop running away?" Rei groaned as she began jogging to catch up to the princess.

"I didn't mean to upset you." Rei said. "I apologize."

"I just hate how everyone always assumes that the only things Venusians care about are sex and physical beauty. Some of us are a lot more than that. Isn't there more to you than just a warrior?"

"Honestly. Not really." Rei said.

Minako laughed. "I was trying to make a point. Thanks for ruining it." Minako playfully elbowed Rei.

"I'm sorry, Princess."

"It's okay. Thanks for at least making me laugh." Minako smiled.

Rei walked with Minako back to the throne room of the palace.

"Hi honey." The queen said. "Did you meet the prince of Andromeda already?"

"Yes. I met him."

"And?" The king said anxiously.

"And I told him to get lost. He was a total jerk and I wouldn't marry him even if my life depended on it." Minako crossed her arms over her chest.

"You still have two more meetings today. Maybe they'll be better." The queen said, sympathetically.

"I'm not meeting anyone else. I'm done. I'm tired of this. I can't keep doing it."

"Minako, you're going to meet with the other suitors." The king said. "You'll meet as many as it takes until you choose a respectable husband or wife for yourself."

"I'm not getting married." Minako scoffed. "These people don't care about me or our kingdom at all. They care about themselves and nothing more."

"You will be married on the day of your twenty second birthday whether you like it or not." The king said, sharply. "Either you choose someone or your mother and I will. It's as simple as that. Do I make myself clear?"

Minako could feel an arsenal of tears pricking behind her eyes. She tried desperately to fight them back, but she couldn't. The tears almost immediately began spilling down her cheeks as she turned and left the room with Rei again following closely behind.

"I really thought The Prince of Andromeda was going to be the one." The king sighed, looking over at his wife. "He's going to inherit the entire Andromeda Galaxy one day and it'll eventually collide and merge together with our own Milky Way. Do you know what Minako marrying him could have meant for not only our kingdom, but for the entire Moon Kingdom as well?"

"That our only daughter would be trapped in a loveless marriage for the rest of her life?" The queen said sarcastically. "She didn't like him. What are we supposed to do? She wants to marry for love, like any other Venusian woman would. I just hope she finds someone. The last thing I want to do is have to choose a suitor for her."

"It looks like we're heading in that direction. She won't give any of these men or women a chance." The king said. "If we have to choose, I'm sure she'll grow to love whomever we pick. I seem to remember you weren't exactly thrilled when your parents choose me for you. But, it didn't take long for you to change your mind."

"That's true." The queen nodded.

"Minako is lucky that the laws have been amended since you were her age. At least she has the opportunity to choose someone for herself first." The king looked over at his wife. "Not everyone ends up as fortunate as you and I did when it comes to having a partner chosen for them."

"I know you're right. But, Minako just seems so unhappy right now. It's been such a long time since she's been her usual bubbly self."

* * *

Rei followed Minako up the castle's huge main staircase, taking the stairs two at a time to catch up with the blonde.

"I don't need an escort inside the castle." Minako called out as she began walking more quickly, not wanting to let Rei see her cry.

"I know. I just-"

"I don't want to talk to anyone right now." Minako sobbed. "Please just leave me alone."

Minako moved quickly down the hallway and ducked into the castle's library. Rei continued to follow Minako, dodging in and out between several shelves of books. Eventually Minako stopped moving, giving up trying to escape from Rei.

"Princess."

When Minako turned around, Rei could see that the blonde's bright blue eyes were filled with tears. Rei then found herself extremely surprised when Minako lunged forward and tightly wrapped her arms around her, sobbing softly into the Martian's shoulder.

"Oh...uh..." not knowing exactly how to react, Rei wrapped one of her arms around the blonde, gently returning the embrace.

As a Martian, Rei was typically very stoic and rarely ever showed much emotion at all so she always found herself feeling slightly awkward and unsure of what to do when someone cried in front of her.

"Are you all right?" Rei asked, slowly and gently running her hand up and down Minako's back, attempting to comfort her as best as she could.

Although Minako felt annoyed for allowing herself to break down and cry in front of a stranger, something about being in the Martian's arms brought about an aura of calm and comfort to the princess.

"I don't want to be forced to get married. All of these suitors have just been power-hungry tyrants looking to marry to expand their family's ruling power to another kingdom." Minako mumbled into Rei's shoulder. "I'm not interested in that at all. I'm looking for someone who's kind and sweet. I want to be able to really connect with someone. All I want is to marry for true love. Is that so unreasonable?"

"Of course not. But, you still have time. There are plenty of people out there. I'm sure you'll meet your true love very soon."

"You really think so?"

"Sure. Things like that tend to happen the moment we least expect them."

"Thanks." Minako sniffed as she slowly let go of Rei. "I'm really sorry. We just met and here I'm a wreck crying all over you. You must think I'm crazy."

"I don't." Rei shook her head. "It's okay."

"Here." Rei reached into the inside pocket of her jacket and handed Minako her handkerchief. "Tears don't suit you, Princess."

"Thank you." Minako smiled softly and took the handkerchief to wipe her eyes.

"Why don't I walk you to your room?" Rei said. "You can rest for a while until your next suitor arrives."

"I think I'd rather stay here..."

"I'll leave you alone then." Rei turned to leave. "I just wanted to make sure you were all right."

"Actually, would you mind staying with me?" Minako asked, grabbing Rei's arm to stop her. "I wouldn't mind the company."

"If that's what you want." Rei nodded.

"Tell me about your missions." Minako said. "The military must have taken you to so many different places."

"Absolutely. I've been all over the Milky Way, but there are still tons of places I haven't been. Our galaxy is big, but the universe is huge."

"You said earlier your last mission before you came here you were doing something in the outer solar system?"

"Yes. I was fighting along side the Saturnian Army. They called for reinforcements after alien forces invaded Titan and Iapetus before moving closer to the planet and also invading Enceladus. Luckily they never had the chance to infiltrate Saturn itself."

"I remember our news services reporting that. They said those forces came from some unknown star system something like thirty billion light years away from here."

"Yes. Scientists and military personnel are still trying to figure out exactly who they were and where they came from. The aliens were extremely evasive. They got into Saturn's airspace completely undetected. The Saturnians did a great job staving them off until my unit arrived to help. Once we got there, it didn't take too long to get things under our control and defeat them. Rebuilding efforts are already well underway."

"That's what I heard. My parents said we're sending supplies to help them. It's too bad that you had to go there under such terrible circumstances. Enceladus and Titan are both really beautiful and interesting places."

"They are." Rei agreed. "But, tourists of the Milky Way seem to be most interested in visiting Saturn itself. It is kind of the darling of our solar system, everyone's enamored with the rings."

"Well, they are pretty beautiful too." Minako said.

"Have you visited before?" Rei asked.

"No." Minako shook her head. "I'd love to though. I like to go out to the observatory and look through the telescope when the skies are clear enough. But, it's not the same as actually being there, you know? I don't get to leave our kingdom very often. I love Venus, but it'd be nice to be able to see some other places too. Could I show you one of my favorite things in our solar system?"

"Of course." Rei nodded.

Minako took Rei by the hand and drug her through the library to a huge wall of books extending from the floor to the ceiling near the back of the room. Minako let go of Rei and grabbed the exact book she wanted without even having to search at all for it. Rei wasn't able to see the cover of the book, but she could tell that it was well-worn. Minako sat down on the floor, she stretched her legs out in front of her and opened the book in her lap. Rei shifted her weapons to allow herself to sit down next to the blonde.

"You might actually be familiar with this already." Minako said as she flipped though the pages. "Maybe you've seen it..."

When she found the page she was looking for, Minako handed the book to Rei. Rei looked down at the book and the image she was met with was a large two-page spread of the Olympus Mons volcano on Mars, which she was indeed familiar with.

"Olympus Mons?" Rei said, skeptically. "On Mars. That's one of your favorite things in the whole solar system?"

"Yeah." Minako said excitedly. "I like volcanos."

"Even though right here on your own planet, you guys have the most volcanoes of all, Olympus Mons is still your favorite?"

"Definitely. It's the largest known volcano in our whole solar system. It's incredible. Don't you think so?"

"I do. But, most people would say I'm just biased because I'm a Martian. A lot of people aren't crazy about my home planet. It's small, cold and dusty-"

"And red and gorgeous." Minako said. "Have you ever seen it in person? Olympus Mons, I mean."

"Sure. I've seen it up close several times." Rei said.

"Is it as huge and majestic as it seems?" Minako asked.

"Absolutely. It's gigantic. It's very overwhelming when you're standing in front of it. It looks like it extends forever. And I've flown over it too. Would you like to see some pictures I've taken of it?"

"I'd love that." Minako smiled brightly.

Rei reached into her back pocket and pulled out her communicator. She scrolled past dozens of photos until she found what she was looking for. Minako moved closer to Rei until they were sitting shoulder to shoulder. Rei turned the screen of her communicator toward Minako and showed her a photo of herself standing in front of Olympus Mons.

"Here's a picture of the caldera I got when I was flying over." Rei said when she swiped to the next photo.

"And here's another one, you can see it off in the distance."

"Wow. These are some amazing photos. I really hope I'll get to see it for myself someday."

"It's definitely worth the trip to see it if you ever get the chance. No matter how many times I've seen Olympus Mons, still I always try to get some new photos when I'm back on Mars."

"Being in the military must keep you away from home an awful lot..."

"It does, but it's not like I really have much of a home to go back to. Just a small apartment where I live for a few months at a time until I find out where my next mission will take me."

"You must miss your family at least."

"I don't have any family..."

"None at all? You don't have any siblings or parents?"

"I'm an only child. My mother passed away when I was thirteen. It wasn't long after my mother's death that my father abandoned me. I haven't seen him since."

"What? How could he possibly do that?"

"His job was always more important to him than my mother and I were. After my mother died, he dumped me off with my grandfather and that was that. My grandfather passed away a few years ago and far as I'm concerned, I don't have a father. So, I don't have any family."

"I'm really sorry." Minako frowned, she reached over and placed her hand on Rei's thigh.

"Don't be sorry. I'd much rather consider myself an orphan than have anything to do with that bastard ever again. I've always done just fine on my own."

For the next hour, Rei and Minako sat on the floor of the library together looking through books, talking and genuinely just enjoying each other's company. Eventually, Rei caught a glimpse of the hands on her watch.

"You should really be getting ready to meet your next suitor. They'll be here shortly." Rei said.

"Do you happen to have any idea who it is this time?"

"I think they're from somewhere in The Whirlpool Galaxy. I can't remember which planet, but I believe this suitor is a woman, if I remember correctly."

Minako let out a heavy sigh.

"You're not interested in meeting a woman?" Rei asked.

"Oh, no. It's not that at all. Venusians don't pay attention to gender when looking for romantic partners, we only see individual people. I've met as many women as I have men. It's just that, sitting here, talking with you has been nice. You've been so far and seen so much. I'd like to hear more. I actually almost forgot about all the suitors I have to meet."

"I know you're not thrilled about this whole situation, but maybe you'll like this one. You won't know unless you give her a chance, right?"

"I guess...so since you said you don't have any family, I'm assuming you're not married or have any children then?"

"No." Rei shook her head. "I'm not married. No children."

"Did you leave a girl back on Mars? I'm sure you at least have a girlfriend, don't you?"

"Nope. No girlfriend either." Rei shook her head. "But, what would make you assume that if I was in a relationship it would be with a woman instead of a man?"

"It would be, wouldn't it, Lieutenant?" Minako smiled.

"Well, yes-"

"We might be blind to gender when it comes to relationships, but Venusians are extremely intuitive about other people's sexuality." Minako interjected. "We can usually just tell."

"That makes sense, I suppose." Rei said as she stood up. "Can I help you up?" Rei extended her hand down to Minako.

"Thank you." Minako said as she took Rei's hand and stood up.

On their way out of the library, Rei noticed one of the castle's female servants approaching them along with Makoto.

"Rei, I'll go ahead and escort the princess to her next meeting so you can go get some rest." Makoto said. "I know you travelled most of last night and this morning. You've gotta be exhausted."

"Thanks, Mako. I appreciate it."

"I'll be happy to show you to your room, Lieutenant." The servant said. "Follow me."

Rei walked with the servant toward the west wing of the castle while Minako and Makoto walked off in the opposite direction.

"While you were chaperoning the princess, the other guardians paired up-" The servant said as she open the door to a room with one large, pristinely made up bed in the center of the room. "I'm sorry, but there's an odd number of you-"

"It's all right." Rei said, sincerely. "I don't mind being alone. Besides, I always wake up very early in the morning, it's better for everyone this way."

"I'll let you settle in. Please don't hesitate to let us know if you or the other guardians need anything at all while you're here."

"Thank you very much."

* * *

Later that evening, Minako had been alone in her bedroom, sitting in the middle of her bed. Earlier that afternoon, both of Minako's meetings with the latter two suitors had proven to be just as unsuccessful as every other meeting she had had over the past two years. Minako looked over to the night table next to her bed and noticed Rei's handkerchief lying next to the lamp. When they left the library earlier that afternoon, at first Minako didn't even realize that she had still been holding on to it, but when she did, she tucked it safely away into her bra, making a mental note to herself to return it. Minako picked up the handkerchief and gently ran her fingertips over Rei's initials. She hadn't been able to stop thinking about the beautiful, raven-haired Martian warrior since she met her earlier that morning. Minako couldn't quite place what she was feeling, but one thing she knew for certain was that the short time she had spent with Rei that morning was the first time in a very long time that she hadn't felt quite so lonely. Most people would think it unfathomable to be almost constantly surrounded by people and still always feel alone, yet this was something Minako found very possible and it pained her deeply. She had friends, family, many servants and a wide variety of suitors from all over the cosmos and somehow she still always felt some part of her remained empty and unfulfilled. Minako was so lost in her thoughts that she never even noticed her nursemaid enter the room.

"Princess? Is everything all right?" The woman asked, noticing that Minako had an empty expression on her face as she stared straight ahead at the wall.

Minako shook herself from her thoughts and looked over at the woman.

"I'm fine." Minako nodded.

"Dinner will be served shortly. Your parents are waiting for you in the main dining room. They'd like for you to join them now."

"I'm not really very hungry."

"Are you sure? That's not like you. Are you feeling all right?" The woman placed the back of her hand on Minako's forehead, checking for any sign of a fever.

"Yes. I'm fine. Honest."

"Would you like me to bring you something to eat up here?"

"No. Thank you." Minako shook her head. "What about the guardians? Have they eaten?"

"They'll be eating in the upstairs dining room very soon. Why do you ask?"

"I know they've had a long day of traveling. I just wanted to make sure they're being well-taken care of."

"Of course, Princess. They'll be treated just as well as any other guest to our kingdom would be."

Minako's stomach then growled audibly.

"I'll bring you something to eat." The woman smiled.

Minako didn't speak, but forced herself to acknowledge her nursemaid with a small, half smile.

"Cheer up, sweetheart. Everyone hates seeing you so sad." The woman reached out and gently tucked a lock of Minako's hair behind her ear. "We love you."

"Do you believe in love at first sight?" Minako asked, looking up at her nursemaid.

"Absolutely. Once you've finally met that one special person that you're supposed to be with, you'll know it. It's Venusian nature."

Minako nodded.

"I'll be back in a few minutes with your dinner." The woman said as she turned to leave.

"Oh, wait a minute. Before I forget-"

"Yes, Princess?"

"Could you please see that this gets laundered?" Minako handed Rei's handkerchief to her nursemaid. "It belongs to Lieutenant Hino. I'd like to see that she gets it back."

"Of course. I'll take it to the laundry room right away."

* * *

Late that evening, Rei was in her room, getting ready for bed. Rei unbuttoned the shirt that she was wearing and tossed it onto the bed. In only a pair of pants, boots and her bra, Rei walked over to the full length mirror hanging on the wall on the other side of the room. She stared at her completely tattooed right arm. The tattoo was one comprehensive piece of artwork that extended from her wrist all the way up her arm and around her shoulder. The tattoo was made up of a black background of outer space, filled with stars and vibrant, colorful nebulae set amongst brightly colored red, orange and yellow flames encasing various important elements of her life. On her bicep there was a detailed, almost photo realistic rendering of the planet Mars and its two small satellites, Phobos and Deimos. On her wrist was Mars' planetary symbol. On her inner forearm was a Casablanca Lily, the bright white flower stood out strikingly against the deep black background of the tattoo. On the back of her arm, above her elbow was a bow and arrow. And on the outside of her forearm was a highly elaborate and stylized rendition of the symbol corresponding to her astrological sign, Aries, the ram.

Rei stared hard at her reflection in the mirror, her eyes shifting from her tattoo to the dozens of obvious, raised, disfiguring scars that marked much of her chest and abdomen. Every time she saw her own naked skin, Rei always hoped that the scars would somehow look softer and less obvious, but unfortunately they never did. Standing in front of the mirror, being faced with her scars, Rei couldn't help but be reminded of the horrible incident that caused them.

A few years prior, she had been on a mission to the Jovian satellite, Io, with her unit of Martian soldiers, given the task of training some brand new young Jovian Army recruits. Rei rather liked training Jovians, overall they were typically strong, brave and very quick, eager learners. Rei had expected the mission to be enjoyable, although it proved to be anything but when she found herself and fellow soldiers caught in the middle of a violent, catastrophic volcanic eruption. The eruption came without warning, molten lava, rock and debris spewed upward into the air as thick, black smoke billowed out of the caldera, engulfing the sky as far as the eye could see and leaving only minutes for the soldiers to evacuate the area. Rei would have escaped completely unscathed, but she noticed one of her fellow Martian soldiers was pinned to the ground by a large boulder that had come careening down the mountain at the start of the eruption. Rei had never turned her back on a soldier before and wasn't about to this time either, despite his protests to leave him and save herself. Rei focused every ounce of her energy to tap into her pyrokinetic abilities to divert the lava and molten material away from the trapped soldier. As the man worked to free his leg from underneath the boulder, Rei was finding herself struggling to control the fires of the eruption. Rei had only been a young child when she first discovered her extraordinary ability to create and manipulate fire. Over the years, she had practiced relentlessly and tapped into the deepest reaches of her mind in order to understand and perfect her skill. Rei's pyrokinetic ability was strong, but still no match for the volcano, as she quickly found herself fighting a losing battle. Just as her fellow soldier managed to free his leg and get up off of the grind, Rei lost what little control she had left. Before she could even react, a pile of falling rocks swiftly knocked her off of her feet. Rei winced in pain as she struggled to stand up, molten material rained down around her, burning straight through her clothing and coming into contact with the skin on most of her upper body. Rei and the other soldiers ran as fast as they could to take cover from the eruption. Rei avoided looking down at her body, she knew she was badly burned as even the slightest movement of her upper body was excruciatingly painful. Rei couldn't even remember getting to the hospital at all, as the severe pain had at some point caused her to lose consciousness and the next memory she had of the incident was waking up in a bed of a Jovian medical center. She was still in severe pain, her torso and entire right arm were bandaged. The doctors had told her that luckily they had been able to save her arm although it was badly damaged and she would require more surgeries as well as months of rehabilitation in order to regain full use of her limb again.

Rei turned away from the mirror in utter disgust, Martians were not typically vain creatures and Rei was indeed grateful to be alive and to have survived her extensive injuries with no lasting effects beyond cosmetic damage, but the scars still always bothered her and made her feel abnormally self-conscious. They were a constant reminder of her own weakness and failure. She had been betrayed by her own element, fire. Maybe if she had only been just a little bit stronger or trained harder to better develop her pyrokinetic abilities, maybe she would have been able to protect herself.

Even after her injuries were fully healed, her body was still badly scarred and Rei always preferred to keep the blemishes hidden as much as possible. She found hiding the extensive scarring on her arm increasingly difficult being that it was on such a highly visible area of her body. For that reason, she eventually sought other, permanent concealing methods. She looked to the expertise of a talented Neptunian tattoo artist who assured her that he could help. The artist happily designed an elaborate sleeve tattoo for her, paying special attention to the placement of each component of the tattoo, using darker colors where the scars were the most severe. The tattoo required several sessions to complete and it was agonizingly painful, Rei felt intense, deep pain each time the needles penetrated the sensitive scarred skin, but she knew the end result would be worth it. Once the tattoo was finally finished, Rei was more than satisfied. She could barely tell there were even scars underneath at all. Rei had considered covering the scars on her chest and abdomen with tattoos as well, but there were so many. She knew it would be difficult and extremely painful to cover them all. There were countless marks, some even worse than the scars that had covered her arm, but being that the location of these defects were much easier to hide, Rei decided to just leave them alone.

* * *

Minako had been sitting in front of her large vanity mirror brushing out her long, golden blonde hair when her nursemaid entered the room.

"I brought some of your laundry. Is it all right if I put it away?"

"Sure." Minako nodded. "Thank you."

Minako stood up and noticed that Rei's handkerchief was on top of the pile of laundry. She took the neatly folded handkerchief and placed it on top of her dresser.

"Could you also please send Lieutenant Hino in here when you're finished?" Minako asked. "I'd like to talk to her."

"She's one of the guardians?"

"Yes. The raven-haired one." Minako nodded.

"The tiny Saturnian who carries the death scythe?" The nursemaid asked.

"No, no." Minako shook her head. "The other dark-haired one. The Martian. The leader. The one with the bow and arrow."

"Oh. Yes, of course, Princess. I'll send her right in."

It was a few minutes later when Rei heard a knock on her bedroom door.

"One moment." Rei called out, she grabbed her shirt from the bed and quickly buttoned it up before answering the door.

"Lieutenant Hino?" Minako's nursemaid asked.

"Yes." Rei nodded.

"It's nice to meet you, officially. I'm Princess Minako's nursemaid."

"It's nice to meet you as well. What can I do for you?"

"The Princess has requested to see you."

"Me? What for?" Rei asked, confused.

"I'm not sure, exactly. She didn't say, but I'll show you to her quarters."

Rei walked with the woman to the opposite wing of the castle. Rei gently knocked on the door and waited for Minako to give her verbal consent, before opening the door.

"Come in." Minako called out.

Rei slowly opened the door and stepped into the room where Minako was sitting on her bed with a small, white cat in her lap.

"I was told you wanted to see me, Princess?"

"I'm sorry it's so late. I hope you weren't asleep." Minako gently moved the cat from her lap and stood up.

"I wasn't." Rei shook her head. "Is everything all right?" There was obvious concern in Rei's tone of voice.

"Everything's fine." Minako said, reassuringly. "I just wanted to give you this back." She walked over to her dresser and picked up the handkerchief.

"My handkerchief?" Rei said.

"Thank you for letting me borrow it this afternoon. I had it laundered for you." Minako lifted Rei's hand and placed the folded piece of cloth into her palm.

"That definitely wasn't necessary. But, thank you." Rei smiled as her eyes met Minako's. "It really wasn't a big deal."

"You may not think so, but it meant a lot to me. You made me feel so much better this afternoon."

"Well, it was the least I could do. You did keep me from almost dropping dead in the court yard."

Minako laughed. "How are you feeling now? Are you adjusting all right to the climate?"

"Yes. I'm fine now." Rei said. "Much better."

Rei watched the cat jump off of Minako's bed and walk toward her. Rei looked down at her boots as the cat began affectionately rubbing its head on her pant leg.

"Cute cat." Rei crouched down and gently stroked the cat's head.

"That's Artemis. He likes you." Minako smiled upon hearing Artemis meow happily. "I think he wants you to hold him."

"Um, is it okay?" Rei looked up at the blonde.

"Of course." Minako nodded.

Rei gently picked up the cat and stood up.

"I'm surprised. He doesn't usually like new people at first." Minako listened to Artemis purr contently in Rei's arms.

"So...how did your other meetings go over today? If you don't mind me asking." Rei looked over at Minako as she stroked Artemis' fur.

"Just about as well as the first one." Minako said.

"That good, huh?" Rei said, sarcastically. "Sorry."

"It's all right." Minako shrugged. "These ones were at least nice and cooperative. I just didn't feel any spark, you know?"

"They didn't give you or any of the guardians a hard time when you weren't interested?"

"Not at all, thankfully. I'm sorry that you had to deal with a total jerk."

"It's all right. I'm pretty tough, I can handle it."

"I have to admit though, I kind of wanted to see you throw the Prince of Andromeda out on his self-righteous ass."

Rei snickered. "Oh, I would have loved to. Believe me."

"Being a little egotistical is one thing, but he was completely disrespectful. I don't know how you managed to keep your cool."

"Part of being a good soldier is learning to exercise control over your emotions and resorting to physical force only when necessary. As a Martian, I might come off as being a little more aggressive than most people but, I'm not a total brute."

"I never thought you were." Minako said, placing her hand on Rei's shoulder.

"Well, uh...I should let you get some sleep. You have another long day ahead of you."

Minako nodded.

"I hope tomorrow will be better for you." Rei said.

"Thank you. My father's pretty disappointed. He really hoped I'd choose to marry the Prince of Andromeda."

"I'm sure you must be under incredible pressure from your parents, but you can't help who you fall for. The most important thing is for you to choose someone that you can be happy with. Follow your heart, it'll always guide you in the right direction. Serenity told me you were a free spirit. Don't make a liar out of her."

"Thanks." Minako nodded and smiled. "Listen...I was wondering...have you ever been to the weapons facility we have here?"

"No." Rei shook her head. "Never."

"Would you like see it?"

"Oh. Definitely. Your metal workers are amazing. They've supplied the Martian Army with some of the best weapons available. I really don't know how they do some of the carving work. It's so detailed."

"I'd be happy to take you on a tour. Maybe tomorrow afternoon?"

"Really? That would be great. Thank you very much."

"I'm happy to do it. I think you'll find it interesting. Will you be escorting me to any of my meetings tomorrow?"

"I'm not sure. We haven't really come up with any kind of official schedule, but I certainly can, if that's what you want. That's what I'm here for. In the meantime, of course, if you need anything, don't hesitate to call."

"I'll see you later, buddy." Rei gave Artemis one last pat on the head before handing him over to Minako.

Minako and Rei held each other's gaze for a few long moments, neither of them physically able to look away, until Rei eventually forced herself to speak.

"So...um...goodnight, Princess. Sleep well."

"You too. Goodnight, Lieutenant."

Minako stepped toward the door and watched as Rei walked down the hallway until she turned out of sight.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, Rei made her way to the dining room where she met the other guardians for breakfast.

"Morning, everyone. Sorry I'm late." Rei yawned as she took one of the empty seats.

"Are you all right?" Ami asked. "You look like you haven't slept well."

"I didn't really sleep much at all to be honest." Rei said. "I tossed and turned for most of the night."

"Is something bothering you?" Setsuna asked.

"I don't know. I have been having kind of an odd feeling ever since we got here-"

"Odd in what way?" Michiru asked.

"I'm not exactly sure. I can't quite place it. It's just kind of an unsettling feeling. I got up early this morning and went to the shrine room to pray, hoping I could figure out what it means, but I couldn't divine anything. My visions were all just foggy and muddled."

"Maybe your body is just still on high alert because you're in a new place?" Setsuna said. "I don't always sleep well in a strange place the first night."

"That does happen to me often when I travel." Rei agreed. "But, this somehow feels different."

"I don't disagree with you." Michiru said. "I feel something too. Like something important is about to happen here. The seas have been restless since we all stepped foot on this planet."

"Well, the princess is about to get married. That's a pretty significant event for the kingdom." Hotaru said. "She's been searching for two years, maybe she's close to finally choosing a spouse."

"That could very well be." Haruka nodded, looking over at Hotaru. "Rei, like both you and Michiru, I think there is something to what you're feeling. I can also sense it in the wind. But, I do think you're trying too hard and burning yourself out."

"Yes." Setsuna nodded. "You know better than anyone that divination cannot be forced. You must allow your visions to come to you naturally."

"Exactly." Makoto said. "Besides, you're always so uptight and on edge. I don't remember the last time I saw you have any fun."

"I don't have time for fun, Mako. There's always too much to do."

"That's the type of attitude that always keeps you so on edge." Hotaru said. "Everyone needs a break sometimes."

"And that's also exactly why you need to come to the party tonight." Makoto said. "Relax. Have a good time for once in your life."

"What party?" Rei asked, confused.

"Before you got here, we were told that the king and queen are throwing a huge party tonight and we're all invited." Ami said, a hint of excitement in her voice.

"Really, Ami? They've got you too?" Rei chuckled. "You've always been just as involved in your work as I've been in mine."

"Well, like Hotaru said, we all do need a break sometimes." Ami said.

"What are they celebrating anyway?" Rei furrowed her eyebrows. "The princess hasn't chosen a suitor yet."

"Royals don't usually need a specific reason to throw a party." Michiru chuckled.

"Exactly. So you're gonna come with all of us and have a good time." Haruka said.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Rei walked through the huge metalsmith facility with Minako. There were dozens of men and women working on crafting all kinds of different items from metal. Minako took Rei to a group of people who were working on weapons crafting, some were working on the actual building and shaping of the weapons in the beginning stages, others were carving and engraving or working on the final polishing and finishing touches.

"This is amazing." Rei said. "I don't know how they do this."

"Let's see who made your sword." Minako said. "There should be initials of the metalsmith engraved on the blade up near the handle."

Rei withdrew her sword from its sheath and showed it to Minako.

"Right here." Minako pointed to the initials on the blade.

Minako then led Rei over to the workstation of the metalsmith who created her sword.

"Hello, Princess." The metalsmith said. "What brings you all the way out here this afternoon?"

"This is my friend, Lieutenant Hino, she's in the Martian Army. I'm just giving her a tour of the facility. You're the one who made the sword she's carrying."

"Nice to meet you, Lieutenant." The metalsmith said, shaking Rei's hand.

"Nice to meet you too." Rei said. "You all do such amazing work here."

"Thank you. I hope that sword has served you well."

"It certainly has. I've gotten a lot of use out of it."

"Would you like me to sharpen it and give it a good polish while you're here?"

"That would be great. Thank you." Rei handed her sword over to the metalsmith.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Rei and Minako left the metalwork facility and slowly walked back to the palace.

"Thank you for showing me around the metalworking facility." Rei said. "I really enjoyed it."

"I'm glad. You're welcome. So, are you coming to the party later?" Minako asked. "I think all of the other guardians are coming."

"Oh, I don't know." Rei shrugged. "I'm not really much of a party person."

"It'll be fun. If nothing else, there will be a ton of food. You can at least eat a lot."

"I just…isn't this supposed to be like a formal thing? I didn't really bring any formal clothes with me. I have uniforms and underwear. Not much of anything else."

"That's okay. The castle seamstresses will dress you and all of the other guardians as well."

"But-"

"Come on. Don't be such a stick in the mud. Everyone else will be there. You'll have a good time."

"I'm getting the feeling I'm not going to have much of a choice, am I?"

"Not if I can help it." Minako laughed. "It starts at six. Go see one of the seamstresses, they'll take care of everything."

"All right. All right." Rei sighed.

* * *

Later that evening, Rei was in her bedroom when she answered a knock on the door. When she opened it, an apprentice to the castle's head seamstress was standing on the other side, holding a black garment bag and a pair of perfectly shined, black dress shoes.

"Hello, Lieutenant. Here's your outfit for the party. It's been tailored since I saw you this afternoon. Please try it on and make sure the adjustments are correct."

"Okay. Sure." Rei nodded, taking the bag from the woman.

"I'll just wait right outside the door. Let me know when you're dressed." The apprentice stepped outside and closed the door behind her.

Rei unzipped the bag and removed the black suit and red button down shirt. She quickly slipped on the pants and shirt, buttoning the shirt before tucking it in. Rei slipped on the shoes and tied them. She took the black bow tie from the bag and slowly tied it around her neck, making sure both sides were even. When she finished, she slipped on the jacket and opened the door to let the apprentice seamstress back into the room.

"Does this look all right?" Rei asked, looking at the seamstress.

The seamstress looked at the sleeves of Rei's jacket, then down to the cuffs of her pants.

"Yes. That's much better. Let's just button this..." the seamstress buttoned Rei's jacket. "Perfect. Please make your way to the ballroom as soon as you're ready. There will be hors d'oeuvres and drinks with dinner to follow shortly afterward."

"All right. Thank you very much." Rei nodded.

Rei eventually made her way over to the room that Ami and Makoto were sharing. Makoto opened the door, wearing a knee length, emerald green dress.

"Oh my God, you look so good." Makoto said. "Get in here." She pulled Rei into the room. "Ami, come look at how totally adorable Rei looks in this tux."

"Thanks, Mako." Rei rolled her eyes.

A moment later, Ami emerged from the bathroom, in a long, dark blue dress.

"You look great, Rei." Ami smiled.

"Thanks. So do you two. Were you guys about ready to head to the party? We can walk together."

"Yep. I just have to put my shoes on." Makoto said.

When they arrived at the ballroom, Ami, Makoto and Rei walked inside where there were already dozens of other people, eating, drinking, dancing and mingling about the room.

"Hey guys." Haruka said, approaching the inner guardians from behind.

Rei turned around to find Haruka, Michiru, Setsuna and Hotaru all equally well-dressed. Haruka in a perfectly fitted black tuxedo, Michiru, Setsuna and Hotaru in beautiful cocktail dresses of varying lengths, styles and colors. Michiru in aquamarine, Setsuna in garnet and Hotaru in a deep shade of violet.

"Rei, I don't remember the last time I saw you out of your military uniform." Setsuna said. "It's a nice change."

"Thanks. I actually kind of like it."

Rei slowly scanned the room and she found herself immediately drawn to Minako, who was standing on the complete opposite side of the massive room with her parents. Rei's eyes locked themselves on the blonde. She looked beautiful. She was dressed in a long, flowing, cap sleeve orange colored dress. The dress revealed just enough cleavage to nicely accentuate the large opal stone necklace that hung around her neck yet still remain perfectly tasteful. Minako's long, golden blonde hair was partially tied up with a bright yellow bow and she wore a pair of orange heels, which matched her dress perfectly. Rei couldn't help but allow her eyes to wander all over Minako's small and slender form, admiring every inch of the princess' beauty. Eventually, Minako's eyes caught Rei's. The princess smiled and waved to the Martian from across the room, Rei returned the smile as she waved back. Rei was jolted out of her thoughts by the sensation of Haruka's hand on her shoulder.

"Sorry. Did you say something?"

"Yeah, I asked if you wanted to come get a drink with me." Haruka said.

"Oh. Yeah. Sure."

"What were you looking at?" Haruka asked. "You spy someone hot, maybe?" Haruka playfully elbowed Rei as they walked toward a table filled with food and beverages. "There are plenty of gorgeous Venusian women here tonight. You just might get lucky."

"I wasn't looking at any women." Rei shook her head. "I just spaced out for a minute. That's all."

* * *

Later that evening, after dinner, Rei had been standing with a fresh drink in her hand, talking with Haruka and Michiru.

"What about her?" Haruka nodded toward a woman across the dance floor. "She's been checking you out all night."

"Which one?" Rei rolled her eyes.

"The one in the short red dress."

"I'm not really interested. Besides, I'm pretty sure it's you that girl has been checking you out all night, not me."

"You think so?" Haruka smirked.

"And why do you care?" Michiru crossed her arms over her chest.

"I don't. I was just-"

"Just what?" Michiru looked up at Haruka, clearly annoyed. "Maybe you can stay in her room tonight."

"Oh come on. You're overreacting. You know I only have eyes for you." Haruka looked down into her girlfriend's eyes. "Why don't we go dance?" She held her hand out and smiled.

"Okay." Michiru smiled back, immediately giving into Haruka's charm. Michiru took Haruka's hand and they walked toward the dance floor.

Rei just laughed and shook her head. Even after so many years, Haruka and Michiru were still just as in love and easy for each other as they were on day one. Rei looked across the dance floor where she saw Ami and Makoto dancing together, near Haruka and Michiru. She also noticed Setsuna and Hotaru each occupied dancing with handsome young men. Rei took her drink and headed toward the opposite side of the room, where there was a set of large glass double doors leading outside to a balcony that wrapped around a large section of the castle and overlooked the courtyard. She took a sip from her glass and leaned on the railing as she looked across the court yard at the fountain which was now brightly illuminated by lights around and inside of the structure. Rei stood silently observing the rapidly setting sun over the Venusian castle grounds. She was so enveloped in watching the sunset that she never heard another person opening the doors leading to the balcony.

"The sunset is beautiful tonight." A sweet, feminine voice spoke.

Rei turned around and saw Minako, closing the large set of glass doors behind her, drowning out the noise of the party inside.

"It is." Rei nodded. "I'm still trying to get used to seeing it set in the east though. I forgot Venus rotates in retrograde motion. You guys are totally backwards compared to everywhere else in the solar system. Well, except for Uranus, but that's a completely different story in itself."

"We're a little bit unique." Minako said. "Our planet and the people."

"That's an understatement." Rei said.

"Speaking of Uranus though, that's where Haruka is from, right?"

"Uh huh." Rei nodded.

"She seems pretty popular with the ladies." Minako said. "She escorted me to my first meeting this morning and my suitor barely gave me a second look. She was too focused on Haruka to notice me." Minako laughed. "And I just saw a long line of girls inside hoping to dance with her."

"Yeah. You know she's crazy about Michiru, but she's still the biggest flirt I know. Girls are always falling for her. Always have."

"I get it. She seems really nice. And she's tall, cute, charming and-"

"Looks great in a tux?" Rei interjected, assuming that would be Minako's next comment.

"Sure. But it's not like you don't, Lieutenant." Minako smiled. "Don't be jealous. You haven't seemed to have any shortage of women swooning over you tonight."

"Well, what can I say? I do clean up rather nicely." Rei smirked. "I don't have any reason to be jealous either, by the way. The only thing Haruka's got on me is a little bit of height."

"Hmm...more like a lot of height." Minako laughed.

Rei couldn't help but laugh too.

"I thought Venusians were supposed to be nice. You're brutal. Geez."

"I'm only teasing." Minako chuckled. "You have a great smile. You don't have to be so serious all of the time."

"Thank you." Rei turned toward Minako.

"So...there are a lot of women at this party…have you met anyone you're interested in?" Minako asked.

"No. Not really." Rei shook her head.

"You've had girlfriends before, haven't you?"

"A few." Rei nodded. "Never anyone I was overly serious about though."

"So you've never been in love before?"

"I can't say that I have." Rei shook her head. "Never even been close."

"Don't worry, you're in the right place." Minako said. "If there's anyone that can soften the heart of a Martian, it has to be a Venusian woman. I mean just look at Mars and Venus or Ares and Aphrodite, no matter what names you call them by, the story is always exactly the same. The rugged, handsome, fiery god of war seduced by the beautiful, passionate goddess of love. It's romantic."

"Romantic?" Rei snorted. "She was unfaithful to her husband and in the very bed she shared with him. When her husband found out, he forced both Mars and Venus to endure the shame of public humiliation because of their infidelity. I'm not sure that qualifies as a picture perfect romance."

"Mars was her true love though. He was the one she always wanted to be with. Wouldn't you do anything you had to if it meant getting to be with your true love?"

"I'll let you know if it ever happens." Rei said. "Though I'm really not sure that I'll ever fall in love."

"I think you will." Minako said, placing her hand on top of Rei's. "You just need to allow yourself to accept the idea. Open up your heart and your mind…just a little."

Rei's breath suddenly caught in her throat and she felt her heart flutter in her chest in reaction to Minako's touch. Rei's eyes sunk down to Minako's hand on top of her own, her gaze then slowly wandered upward until her eyes met the princess' deep blue ones.

"I appreciate the optimism." Rei smiled. "But, I'm not even looking, to be perfectly honest."

"Really? How can someone be the object of so much female affection and not even remotely care about any of it?"

"I could ask you the same thing, Princess." The Martian raised her glass to her lips. "Every day you have both men and women falling all over you and you barely give them the time of day."

"I'm trying to find my true love and I'm running out of time. I have to be absolutely sure before I choose a partner. You're not being forced into making a quick decision. You can take your time and be with as many women as it takes until you find love…"

"I guess I just have other things going on right now. I don't have time for a wife anyway."

"So...you don't think you'll ever get married at all?"

"Maybe someday. Who knows? If it happens, great. If it doesn't, that's okay too. I'm used to being alone. It doesn't bother me." Rei leaned over the balcony's railing and stared off into the distance. "Honestly, I haven't thought much about marriage, my job keeps me pretty busy."

"No doubt, but you shouldn't have to give up your whole life for your job. It isn't unheard of for a Martian soldier to marry. Actually, it's not even uncommon, many of the soldiers stationed here have husbands or wives and children too. And it's certainly not unusual at all for a Martian to at least take a lover every now and again."

"It's not." Rei agreed. "It's just that, if I have any chance of being promoted to Captain and hopefully Major by the time I turn thirty, I need to stay on track and focus on my career not my romantic life. Someday, I'd like to become a General."

"How old are you now? If you don't mind my asking."

"I don't mind at all. It's not that personal of a question. I'm twenty five."

"Don't worry. You have plenty of time. But, that's just like a Martian to be concerned with work over pleasure." Minako laughed. "I actually can't believe you didn't bring your sword or bow with you tonight."

"They're not exactly the best accessories to a tux." Rei laughed. "But, if it makes you feel any better, I do have a knife stashed in my sock."

"Why does that not surprise me at all?" Minako laughed. "I couldn't expect a Martian Army Lieutenant to show up to even a social event totally unarmed."

"I don't like to be without my sword or bow, but even unarmed, the other guardians and I will be okay."

"You guys are skilled in martial arts and physical combat, right?"

"We are. But, all of us also possess unique supernatural abilities relating to our home planets. That's why Serenity sent us all here. We're the strongest soldiers from our respective planets."

"What supernatural ability do you possess?" Minako asked, curiously.

"Pyrokinesis."

"Are you serious?"

"Of course."

"Will you show me? Down there, across the court yard on the pathway, you see all of those lanterns? Light one of them."

"If you insist." Rei nodded. She closed her eyes for a moment and focused her attention.

A moment later, Minako's eyes went wide as she watched not only one lantern, but each lantern lining the path leading to the court yard illuminate one by one in a bright orange and red blaze.

"That's amazing." Minako stood, mouth agape, staring at the lanterns. "Have you always been able to do that?"

"Since I was a kid." Rei said. "At first, I had a hard time controlling it, but I started working really hard to figure out how to manage my ability. And eventually I got the hang of it."

"You know, I actually have sort of a supernatural ability of my own too." Minako said.

"Oh yeah?" Rei said. "What's that?"

Minako took several steps back from the railing of the balcony and faced Rei.

"Venus Love Me Chain!" Minako called out.

A bright light shined brilliantly and caused a chain of yellow heart shaped links to materialize out of thin air. Rei watched as the chain traveled through the air and wrapped itself around her wrist. Rei pulled her wrist back, the chain was strong and she could tell that the links binding her wrist would not easily be broken.

"Wow...I-" Rei looked at the metal encircling her wrist, then over to Minako who had the other end of the chain wrapped around her hand.

"Comes in handy sometimes." Minako said. "I'm not exactly the completely helpless damsel in distress everyone likes to think I am."

"No. I guess not."

Rei then felt the pressure around her wrist subside as the chain disappeared just as quickly as it came. Rei placed her other hand around her wrist where the chain had been and gently rubbed the area.

"I didn't hurt you, did I?" Minako asked.

"No...just surprised me. That was-"

"I might not be much of a metal worker, like a lot of Venusians, but I can still harness the power of metal."

"Yeah, you sure can. So...not that I mind at all, but why are you out here with me anyway? Shouldn't you be inside mingling with guests or dancing or something?"

"I just wanted some fresh air. I needed to get away for a bit. What about you? You were out here all alone."

"Same reason, I guess. Just needed a break. I'm not typically an overly social kind of person. Being alone has never bothered me."

"Then it's a good thing the whole aloof, mysterious, brooding motif works so well for you. If you still want a break from the party, would you want to go for a walk with me? It's a nice night and I'm not quite ready to go back in yet."

"Sure." Rei nodded. "Is there a staircase out here or-" Rei looked around the balcony.

"Who needs stairs?" Minako smirked. She summoned her heart-link chain once again and aimed it at a high branch belonging to a tree in the court yard.

"No! Princess, don't-"

Before Rei could stop her, Minako had already jumped over the railing, holding onto the chain as she swung through the air.

"Shit." Rei muttered. Without even thinking, she placed one hand on the balcony railing and vaulted over the ledge.

As soon as Rei reached the ground, she ran toward Minako, positioned herself near the tree and caught Minako in her arms as she swung by. Rei's heart raced out of control as she held Minako, one arm underneath the blonde's bent knees and the other wrapped securely around her back. Minako was impressed by how little effort Rei appeared to be using to hold her up.

"Are you crazy!?" Rei exhaled heavily, her heart still pounding wildly against her rib cage. "You could have seriously injured yourself. Are you all right?"

"I'm perfectly fine." Minako chuckled. "Relax."

"Are you trying to get me into trouble?" Rei asked as she gently set Minako onto her feet. "You nearly gave me a heart attack."

"Just keeping you on your guard." Minako smoothed out the lapels of Rei's jacket and then reached up and straightened the bow tie around her neck.

* * *

"We've been out here awhile." Rei said. "We should probably head back to the party before everyone gets worried about you."

"You're right." Minako nodded. "It's getting a little chilly anyway."

Minako wrapped her arms around her own body, a sharp chill traveling through her body as a particularly cool gust of wind swept fiercely across her back.

"Here." Rei unbuttoned her suit jacket and slipped it off. "Take this." She then gently draped the jacket around Minako's shoulders. "Is that better?"

"Much. Thank you. You're so kind." Minako placed her hand on Rei's bicep.

"No problem." Rei said, placing her hands in her pockets.

As they slowly walked through the court yard, Minako happily linked her arm around Rei's elbow.

"You're okay if we just go ahead and use the stairs this time, right?" Rei said sarcastically, glancing over at Minako.

"I think that'll be all right this time." Minako laughed.

When they returned to the ballroom, Minako removed Rei's jacket and handed it back to the Martian.

"Before you disappear again, I wanted to ask..." Minako said. "Would you like to dance with me?"

"You're asking me to dance?" Rei asked, surprised as she slipped her jacket back on.

"Well, I obviously can't wait around for you to ask me, can I?" Minako said sarcastically. "The party's almost over."

"I...um...I didn't know you wanted me to ask, otherwise I would have..." Rei held her hand out to Minako. "But, I get to lead."

"Deal." Minako took Rei's hand as they moved onto the dance floor.

Minako held Rei's hand as she placed her other hand on the Martian's shoulder. Rei placed her other hand gently around Minako's back as she swiftly led the blonde around the dance floor, neither one of them ever missing a single beat.

"You're a pretty good dancer." Minako said. "Have you had a lot of practice or are you just naturally good at everything you do?"

"I haven't had much practice, but I'm usually a pretty quick learner."

"So...are they an item?" Minako asked, glancing over Rei's shoulder and noticing Ami and Makoto dancing together again.

"Who?" Rei asked, trying to glance back over her own shoulder.

"Ami and Makoto."

Rei chuckled. "No way. They're just friends."

"They're totally into each other. If they're not already a thing, they definitely want to be."

"I don't know about that." Rei said. "They're close, sure. But, we're all close. And it's been a while since most of us have seen each other."

"If you say so." Minako shrugged. "But you should never doubt a Venusian's intuition when it comes to matters of relationships."

"I'll keep that in mind."

When the song eventually came to its end, Minako found herself not wanting to let go of Rei, but after a few long moments, she forced herself to release Rei's hand as her other hand slowly slid off of the Martian's shoulder.

"Thank you for the dance, Lieutenant." Minako smiled softly.

"My pleasure, Princess." Rei returned the smile.

Rei walked off of the dance floor, her eyes still remaining on Minako as she slowly made her way back toward the table across the room that was filled with drinks.

"Asking the The Princess to dance. Bold move." Haruka said. "I like it."

"Actually, she asked me." Rei said.

"No kidding? Way to go." Haruka smirked, elbowing Rei.

* * *

A few days later.

Late one morning Minako made her way downstairs for her wedding dress fitting. When she entered the room, Minako found four Venusian women waiting anxiously for her. In front of her stood one of the castle's head seamstress and her apprentice, the princess' personal stylist and a fashion designer.

"Good morning, Princess." The stylist said. "Are you ready to see your wedding dress?"

"Sure." Minako nodded.

The fashion designer walked over to a large box sitting on a table in the room. She took the lid off of the box and carefully pulled the dress out. The dress was long and sleeveless, it was bright white with intricate lace patterns and beading over the entire front of the garment. Minako took a few steps forward and ran her fingertips over the embellishments. As Minako stared at the dress, the rather indifferent expression on her face caused the designer to become overwhelmed with a feeling of panic.

"Oh no. You hate the dress, don't you?" The designer said, nervously. "I-"

"No, no, no. I love it, really I do." Minako reassuringly placed her hand on the designer's shoulder. "It's beautiful. It's just that, this is all becoming so real for me so fast. I have this beautiful dress and everyone is working so hard to plan a perfect wedding and I don't even have anyone to marry yet. It's hard to get excited about it. It would be so much easier and more fun to envision if I knew who I'd get to wear this for."

"You're going to meet the right person, Princess. I know it." The stylist said.

"You know, everyone keeps saying that to me." Minako sighed. "But, I'm just not so sure." She frowned. "I haven't felt any connection with a single one of the suitors I've met."

"You will. Have a little faith. Everything will happen exactly when it's supposed to." The seamstress said. "Now, let's try this dress on and see how it fits you. I can't wait to see how beautiful you'll look in it."

"Okay." Minako took the dress and disappeared into one of the fitting rooms sliding the curtain closed behind her.

"So, did you all have a chance to meet the guardians the other night at the party?" The stylist asked.

"Yes. And let me tell you, honey, if I was about twenty years younger and not already married, I would have been all over the lieutenant in a heartbeat." The seamstress said.

Minako placed her hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle.  
"The Martian? Really?" The stylist said, skeptically. "She's sexy, I'll give you that much. But, rumor is that she has a reputation for being short-tempered and kind of a ball buster."

"There's nothing wrong with a being a strong, commanding woman." The seamstress said. "What's sexier than that?"

"Seriously." The designer agreed. "But really, who cares if she's a little bit abrasive? I'd look past it. She's gorgeous."

"Most Martians are." The seamstress sighed happily. "But, she's an absolutely flawless specimen, if there ever was one."

"Martians are just so...serious and unemotional all the time, you know?" The stylist said. "I'm pretty sure the only emotion they're even capable of experiencing is anger."

"You've obviously never been to bed with one before." The seamstress said, matter-of-factly. "Martians have been by far, the most sensual, unselfish and intense lovers I've ever had. Not to mention, many of them have voracious sexual appetites rivaled only by those of Venusians."

"For real?" The stylist furrowed her eyebrows.

"Oh my goodness, yes. Why do you think I married one? Their fiery tempers and above average aggression translate into nothing but pure, raw passion in the bedroom."

"I have to agree. I've been with several Martians myself." The designer said. "They've all been really good and a lot of fun. Somehow they just seem to know what you like, none I've been with has ever needed a map of the terrain. They were almost as insatiable as I was. Bad thing is though, a lot of them are stubborn, commitment-phobes when it comes to romantic relationships. It can be tough to get them to fall in love."

As Minako wiggled herself into the dress, she remained as quiet as possible, listening to the other women's conversation. She had no idea if what she was hearing was at all true as Minako had never had a single lover before.

Venusians had a reputation for being somewhat promiscuous people and much more open about sex than other races were. It wasn't uncommon for both women and men to have many lovers in their lifetimes before settling down and eventually getting married. However, under the laws of the Venusian Kingdom, royal women were strictly forbidden from engaging in any type of sexual relationship prior to marriage. Ancient Venusian royalty believed that women would be more likely to break the rules and engage in pre-marital sex if the risk of pregnancy was slim, thereby deciding the easiest way to preserve a royal woman's innocence was to cut off her access to birth control. Although some of the beliefs of the ancient Venusian culture now seemed incredibly primitive, Venusian royalty still continued to uphold many of the traditions of their ancestors. In modern day society, Venusian royal women would receive their birth control microchips at age thirteen, just as any other sexually mature Venusian female would, but doctors were forbidden from activating the chip until the woman's wedding day.

"Yes. It can be incredibly difficult to get past that tough, serious, stoic exterior, but if you're lucky enough to get a Martian to fall in love with you, never ever let them go." The seamstress said. "They're among the most loyal and passionate partners in the entire universe. You'll have them forever. There's nothing quite like the emotional and sexual spark between a Martian and a Venusian. It's ingrained in our history."

"I don't know that I'm quite ready to settle down or anything yet..." The stylist said. "But, now you've both gotten me very interested in experiencing the sexual prowess of a Martian for myself. My sex life's been a little lacking lately, I could use some fun, maybe I'll see if the Lieutenant is interested in a little rendezvous after all. Anyone know if she's single?"

"I know she wasn't wearing a wedding ring at the party." The designer said. "So, I don't think she's married, but I don't know if she has a girlfriend."

"You better be careful." The seamstress said. "Once you've made love with a Martian, nothing else will compare to it ever again."

"I guess we'll find out." The stylist smirked.

"Can someone come zip up this dress please?" Minako called out.

The seamstress pulled back the curtain and stepped into the fitting room, she took the zipper on the back of the dress, into her hand and gently pulled it upward. Minako stared ahead at her reflection in the mirror.

"You look absolutely exquisite, Princess." The seamstress said.

"Thanks." Minako smiled, slowly turning around to look at the dress from different angles.

Minako stepped out of the dressing room, with the seamstress holding up the train of the dress to prevent it from dragging on the floor.

"You look incredible." The designer said excitedly, taking Minako's hands in her own. "You're the perfect woman for this dress. You look every bit as beautiful as I imagined you would when I designed it."

"I agree wholeheartedly." The stylist said. "But, we may want to let it out just slightly in the bust area. It looks a little snug. I don't think the king will be too thrilled."

"Yes. She's a bit better endowed than we accounted for." The designer agreed. "Our measurements must have been slightly off."

"That won't be a problem at all." The seamstress said. "We can easily make the alterations."

"How does the rest of the dress feel, Princess?" The seamstress' apprentice asked. "Are you comfortable? Can you move all right? Can you breathe?"

"Yes. I think it fits pretty well."

"Is there going to be a veil to go with the dress?" The stylist asked.

"Yes." The designer nodded. "It'll be white chiffon attached to a crown made up of fresh orange roses. A little bit of color will really make everything pop."

"That's perfect." The apprentice swooned. "I can't wait to see the entire outfit together."

"We're also going to make you some nice lingerie for your wedding night." The seamstress said, placing her hands on Minako's shoulders. "But, we'll make sure not to tell your father about that part." She laughed.

"That's probably a good idea." Minako laughed too.

* * *

Later that afternoon.

Rei had been outside of the castle, beyond the courtyard in a large, open grassy area with a group of relatively new Army soldiers practicing archery. Rei watched as several of the soldiers pulled back their bowstrings and took aim at their targets.

"Could you watch me, Rei?" A young, tall, scrawny soldier asked. "I'm not sure I'm doing this right."

Rei turned around and surveyed the soldier's form. She watched as he struggled a little to aim and shakily released the arrow and it hit the arrow on the outside most ring.

"I'm just not good at this." The soldier said, a disappointed tone in his voice.

"Would you happen to be left handed, soldier?" Rei asked, stroking her chin.

"Yes. I am." He nodded. "Does that matter?"

"It can make a big difference. Here try using a left handed bow instead." Rei picked up a different bow and handed it to the soldier. "Try drawing your bow string with your left hand. You should be able to get much better control using your dominant hand."

Rei watched again as the soldier pulled back the string, this time appearing to be much more comfortable in his form. When his arrow hit the target, it landed much closer to the bullseye.

"Good job." Rei said. "That feels a lot better, doesn't it?"

"Definitely." He nodded.

"I'm left handed too." Rei said. "I struggled a lot when I was first learning until I started using my left hand."

"You struggled with archery?" The soldier said, surprised.

"Mm hm." Rei nodded. "Eventually, after a lot of practicing, I got pretty good, so I started practicing with my non-dominant hand and now I can shoot with any bow from either hand."

"Wow. I'd kill for even half of your talent."

"You're doing well." Rei placed her hand on the man's shoulder. "It just takes practice. Go ahead and give it another shot."

The soldier raised his bow again and pointed his arrow toward the target.

"Make sure that you're keeping your string pulled back tight. Straighten out your arm and keep your eyes on the target."

The man carefully aimed at the target and released the arrow. Both Rei and the soldier watched the arrow hit the red portion of the target, outside of the yellow bullseye rings.

"Excellent." Rei gave him a pat on the back. "Keep practicing. You're greatly improving already."

"Rei?" Another solider said.

"Yes?"

"When I first started basic training, I saw a video where a trainer shot arrows at a bunch of tiny targets around a recruit, acting as a human target." The man said. "We're not gonna have to do that, are we?"

"No. Don't worry." Rei laughed. "That's not one of our training modules. Something like that would only typically be done by a master archer, most likely as part of a demonstration."

"Well...you're a master archer." One of the soldiers said. "Have you ever done a demonstration like that?"

"I've done a few." Rei nodded.

"How about giving us a demonstration right now?" Another one of the soldiers said.

"Sure. I'm up for it. Do we have any volunteers brave enough to stand in?"

For a few long moments all of the soldiers were silent, staring down at their boots and hoping someone else would answer.

"Man, you guys are such wimps." One of the soldiers finally spoke up. "I'll do it." He rolled his eyes.

"Go stack up some of those hay bales." Rei said.

Two of the soldiers jogged down the field and stacked several hay bales on top of one another until they exceeded the volunteer soldier's height. The volunteer soldier leaned back against the hay bales, his arms and legs spread out as the other soldiers placed very small paper targets around him. When they finished, there were four targets in place. One in the space to the inside of each of his arms, one just above his head and one in between his legs.

"All right." Rei slipped off her jacket and tossed it aside.

Rei then unbuttoned the cuffs of her shirt sleeves and rolled them up past her elbows. She took a moment to tether her arrow quiver to her back and then picked up her bow. Rei took an arrow from her quiver and pointed her bow toward the ground as she attached her arrow to the bow string. Once she was ready, Rei raised her bow and aimed at her first target, near the soldier's left arm. She slowly pulled the bow string back and fired the first arrow. The arrow sailed through the air and hit the exact center of the bullseye. Rei drew another arrow and repeated the process for the target near the soldier's right arm, the second arrow also hitting the bullseye of its intended target. Rei took in a deep breath and set her sights on the target above the soldier's head. She was confident in own abilities and although she didn't doubt her skill, Rei never let herself become too comfortable or arrogant. She always performed such a dangerous act with utmost caution. Once again, Rei attached her arrow to the bow string and lifted the bow. She carefully took aim and pulled back the string. Rei slowly exhaled and swiftly released her arrow. As soon as the arrow left her hand, Rei breathed a sigh of relief. She could tell that the trajectory was perfect and the arrow would hit the target in the bullseye, just as she had expected.

"That was awesome." One of the soldiers said.

"Three down. One more to go." Another soldier said.

Rei prepared to take her final shot, she was poised and ready, her arrow ready to fire. Rei pulled back the bowstring and stared straight ahead at the target. Out of the corner of her eye, Rei then noticed Minako passing by and talking along with Ami and Michiru. Rei turned her head and made eye contact with Minako, becoming distracted, by Minako waving to her, Rei prematurely released her arrow. The arrow quickly sailed through the air and sunk into the hay bale, missing all of the rings of the target and piercing the fabric on the leg of the soldier's pants, though luckily missing his flesh. The soldier was now visibly angry, reached down and pulled the arrow from his pants. He then stormed over to where Rei was standing with the arrow still in his hand.

"What the Hell is the matter with you!?" The soldier angrily threw the arrow down on the ground.

"Calm down. I'm sorry. It slipped." Rei said, calmly. "Are you all right?"

"That fucking arrow went right through my pants. It could have hit me. Master archer my ass." The soldier then pulled his fist back and swung at Rei, though she ducked out of the way in plenty of time to avoid any impact.

"I wouldn't-" Another one of the soldiers said before being cut off.

"Fuck off." The soldier yelled, shoving the man aside, before setting his sights back on Rei.

Now also extremely irritated, Rei grabbed the soldier by his shirt with both of her hands. "I said calm down! Right now!"

"Get your hands off of me." The soldier pulled away from Rei's grasp.

"Fine. We can do things the hard way then." Rei quickly summoned a fireball and projected it forward toward the soldier, not with the intention of injuring him, but rather just to scare him.

The soldier looked down at his legs as bright red and orange flames singed his pants, burning his pant legs all the way up to his thighs. Startled, he stumbled backward and fell to the ground as the flames extinguished just as quickly as they appeared.

"What the-" He looked down at his now burned pant legs. "How did you-"

"Looks like you have bigger problems now than just a little hole in your pants." Rei said. "Let's get a few things straight here..." Rei folded her arms over her chest. "Number one. You need to learn some serious respect. Not only for me and your other superiors, but for your fellow soldiers as well. Have you been in real combat yet, soldier?"

"Well...no." He clenched his jaw and shook his head.

"I didn't think so. Let me tell you something. Life is full of miscues. Military life is no different and if you take every single blunder personally, you'll end up creating nothing but trouble for yourself." Rei said firmly. "Especially when you're out in combat. Missions rarely ever go over flawlessly. Under pressure, people are inevitably going to make mistakes. Even the most experienced, highest ranking officials aren't perfect-"

"I-" The soldier began to protest.

"Did I give you any impression that I was finished speaking?" Rei stared down at the man sitting at her feet, her tone ridged and sharp.

The man sunk his head and stared down at the ground without attempting to speak again.

"You cannot allow yourself to dwell on every little thing that doesn't go according to plan." Rei crouched down to look at the man, this time her tone was much lighter and softer. "You have to be flexible, resilient and fearless otherwise I can pretty much guarantee that the only way you'll ever return home from battle will be in a body bag. Is that what you want, soldier? Because it certainly isn't what I want for you or for your friends and family."

The soldier's gaze slowly wandered upward until his eyes met Rei's. Her prior expression of anger had now been replaced by a much calmer, gentler expression.

"Trust and respect your commanding officers, don't fool yourself into thinking that you know better than they do. Be assertive, but not arrogant. I've had my ass saved many times in battle by my superiors and through learning and experience, I've been able to go forward and protect the lives of many other soldiers and civilians alike."

Rei stood up and extended her hand down to the soldier to help him to his feet. He took her hand, stood up and brushed himself off.

"Permission to speak?" The soldier asked.

"Granted." Rei nodded.

"I'm sorry I took a swing at you." He said. "I lost my cool. It'll never happen again. I swear."

"I don't want you to be sorry, I just want you to do better." Rei said. "Now, your hand-to-hand combat skills need work. You didn't even come close to making contact with me. We'll train on that, but for the time being, let's work on that attitude."

"Yes ma'am." He nodded.

Rei then looked around at all of the other soldiers. "You're all dismissed for the afternoon. We'll pick this up again tomorrow."

"Oh and one more thing..." Rei placed her hand on the man's shoulder.

"Yes, Lieutenant?" He turned around to face Rei.

"Never insult a pyrokinetic."

"I tried to tell you not to challenge her." One of the men laughed.

"How was I supposed to know?"

As the soldiers gathered up their bows and arrows and began to walk away, Rei noticed Minako, Ami and Michiru approaching them.

"Are you okay?" Minako asked. "Did he hurt you?" Minako looked over Rei's face and upper body for any sign of injury.

"I'm just fine, Princess."

"I'm really sorry if I distracted you. I didn't mean-"

"It's all right. It wasn't your fault. It was completely mine. I let myself break concentration and the arrow slipped."

"We didn't intervene only because you already had everything under control." Ami said.

"Yes. Of course we would have helped if you had needed it." Michiru agreed.

"I know you would." Rei nodded. "I'm just annoyed that I missed my shot. It was totally unacceptable, I know I'm better than that."

"You're being much too hard on yourself." Minako said. "You got three of four perfect shots. That's still impressive to me."

"Thanks." Rei bent down and picked up her bow and jacket. "So, where are you all coming from?" Rei asked, noticing Ami, Michiru and Minako all had slightly damp hair.

"We went swimming. There's a beach not too far from here." Minako said. "Ami and Michiru are amazing swimmers."

"They are." Rei agreed. "About the only competition they have is each other."

"I'm certainly not the best swimmer..." Minako said, pulling an arrow from the quiver on Rei's back. "I think I'd be much better at archery. Maybe you could teach me? I'd love to learn. Do you have time?"

"Sure." Rei nodded. "If you really want to...I can escort her back to the castle in a little while, if you guys have something to do." Rei looked over at Ami and Michiru.

"Just don't forget, you have a suitor to meet in an hour, Princess." Michiru said.

"I'll see that she gets there on time." Rei said.

"Let's go find out what the other guardians are up to." Ami said. "We'll see you two later then."

Rei tossed her jacket back onto the ground and took the arrow that Minako was holding.

"I like your tattoo." Minako reached out and ran her fingers over the inked skin of Rei's inner forearm.

"Thank you."

"Do lilies have some kind of significance for you?"

"Sort of. Casablanca lilies were my mother's favorite flower. She always kept them in our house when I was a kid. Now, lilies are my favorite flower, they remind me of her."

"That's sweet." Minako said. "She would be so proud of you."

"I hope so. All I ever wanted was to make her proud. My mother meant everything to me. When I was growing up all we had was each other. My father was always away working. She did so much for me, even after she got sick. Before she passed, she made my father promise to take care of me. Normally, I couldn't have cared less that he left me, he was barely in my life to begin with. But, he broke a promise he made to my mother on her deathbed. That's unforgivable and I'll hate him for it until my dying day."

Although Rei did not shed a single tear, Minako could see the hurt in the young Martian's eyes as well as sense it in her voice. At this moment the only thing Minako wanted more than anything else was to comfort Rei and relieve her pain.

"I'm so sorry." Minako wrapped her arms around Rei's shoulders and hugged her.

"It's okay." Rei returned the embrace. "I just had to work extra hard to take care of myself. My mother taught me how to be strong, so I always knew I'd be all right."

"You know, just because your mother can't physically be here with you anymore doesn't mean she isn't still with you in spirit."

"You're right. I can still feel her presence with me every day."

"I'm glad. I really wish there was something I could do to take away all of the pain and anger you must feel. It has to be so difficult for you-"

"Thank you, Minako." Rei said as the embrace was slowly broken. "I mean...Princess. Forgive me." Rei bowed her head to the princess. "I didn't mean any disrespect. I-"

"That wasn't disrespectful. You can call me Minako." The blonde smiled softly as she took Rei's hand in her own. "I don't mind."

Although Minako had certainly found herself attracted to Rei before now, at this particular moment, Minako could almost physically feel that attraction intensifying. Minako wondered if this was the type of spark between a Martian and Venusian that her seamstress had been referring to. She knew for sure that she had never before felt this level of both emotional and physical attraction to another person.

When Minako glanced downward, she noticed the Martian's zodiac tattoo on her outer forearm.

"Of course you would be an Aries." Minako said, admiring the ram astrological symbol on the outside of Rei's arm.

"You're a Libra, right?" Rei asked.

"Yes." Minako nodded. "How did you know?"

"Just an educated guess. Everyone's so concerned about you getting married because your birthday is a few months away. So, it must be fairly close to the end of October."

"Uh huh. It's the twenty second."

"You're right on the cut off for Libras. I'm pretty close to the cut off for Aries birthdates too. April seventeenth."

"You know astrology?"

"A little." Rei shrugged. "I think it's interesting."

"Me too." Minako smiled. "So...how much of your arm is tattooed anyway?" Minako asked, pushing Rei's sleeve up past her elbow as far as it would go and realizing that all of the visible skin was completely covered in tattoos.

"The whole thing."

"Really? All of it?"

"Mm hm." Re nodded. "All the way up around my shoulder."

"Well, could I see the rest of it?"

"Um, sure. If you want." Rei said.

Rei unbuttoned her shirt, only agreeing to show Minako her tattoo because she had worn a t shirt underneath her uniform shirt. Minako would be able to see the tattoo, but all of the scars on her torso would remain fully concealed. Rei slipped her arms out of her shirt sleeves and tossed her shirt on top of her jacket. Though she was very interested in Rei's tattoo, Minako found herself now distracted by the Martian's upper body in the snugly fitting white t shirt that she was wearing. Despite her relatively small size, the muscles of Rei's upper body were immaculately toned and extremely well developed, without being excessively bulky. Minako took immediate notice of the way the sleeves of Rei's t shirt wrinkled around her biceps, straining to contain the muscles inside the fabric. Minako's eyes then slowly drifted down to Rei's abdomen, the t shirt was tucked tightly into her pants and even through the opaque fabric, Minako could tell that the Martian's abdominal muscles were every bit as hard and perfectly toned as her arms were.

Rei pushed her t shirt sleeve up over her shoulder so that Minako could see her tattoo in its entirety.

"This is amazing." Minako gently ran her fingers over Rei's bicep, admiring the artwork of Mars and its moons.

"Haven't you ever seen someone with a tattoo before?" Rei asked. "They're not uncommon."

"Sure I have, I just really like looking at them." Minako said. "Probably because I'm not allowed to have any myself."

"Your parents would be upset?" Rei asked.

"Definitely. Venusians are allowed to have tattoos, but royal women aren't. Our bodies are supposed to be pure. That's also why Venusian royal women are forbidden from having sex before marriage."

"Oh. So then you're a..." Rei hesitated.

"Virgin." Minako nodded. "Yes. You realize, it's not a dirty word, Lieutenant. And I'm not embarrassed about it either."

"No. No. Of course not. You shouldn't be at all. I'm just surprised. Most of the Venusians I know are really casual about sex. I'm surprised there are restrictions for royals."

"Just women. It doesn't apply to men."

"So a royal man can have pre-marital sex with as many people as he wants, but women can't?"

"That's right." Minako nodded. "We don't really care much about what men do in that regard."

"I don't mean to offend you or your culture, but that seems pretty sexist and terribly old fashioned if you ask me."

"It does a little. But, the intention is good. On Venus, women have always been sacred, especially royal ones. In our culture, women are held to higher standards because we're viewed as being more important and more powerful. Our ancestors thought purity among royal women would enhance our power and give us a stronger bond in marriage thereby in turn, helping us to bear more female babies and strengthen our bloodline."

"Well, when you put it that way, it doesn't seem quite so bad, I guess." Rei said. "Women are so much more powerful than most societies give them credit for. Especially Venusian women. You're the only race in existence that could continue to procreate without any men at all. That's incredible."

"Women are clearly the superior sex. We always have been." Minako said. "Can you imagine if men had to be the ones to bear children? Our species would have died out ages ago." Minako laughed.

"You're certainly right about that." Rei chuckled. "So...anyway...I'll show you the basics and then you can try." Rei picked up her bow and took an arrow from her quiver.

"Sounds good to me." Minako smiled.

"All right, so the first thing you want to do is line yourself up with the target. Then, keep your bow pointed down at the ground while you attach your arrow to the bowstring."

Rei attached the arrow to the string and lifted her bow, pointing it toward the target. "You can just kind of lightly hold your arrow while you aim. When you're ready just pull back on the string..."

Rei slowly pulled her bowstring back, never taking her eyes off of the target. "And let it go."

Minako watched as the arrow sailed through the air and pierced the target dead center in the bullseye.

"See. There's really nothing to it." Rei said.

"Easy for a warrior to say." Minako laughed.

Rei chuckled. "Here. Just give it a try." Rei handed the bow to Minako and pulled a new arrow from her quiver.

Minako took the bow and arrow from Rei and tried to replicate what Rei had done as best as she could. Minako released her arrow and it hit the blue ring of the target.

"Not bad. Give it another try." Rei pulled another arrow from her quiver and handed it to Minako. She watched as Minako attached the arrow to the bowstring and aimed at the target again.

"Maybe I can help." Rei said, taking a few steps closer to the blonde. "Is it all right if I just-" Rei tentatively moved her hands near Minako's, but didn't touch her until the princess granted her permission.

"Of course."

Rei placed one of her hands on the bow to help Minako aim.

"Spread your feet apart just a little." Rei then placed her hands on Minako's shoulders. "And relax your upper body. You're too tense."

"Okay, now pull your string back as far as you can. Keep your forearm muscles tight." Rei slid her hand back over Minako's forearm following the motion as the blonde slowly pulled the bowstring back. "Good. Keep your elbow up and both of your eyes open..."

Minako's knees went slightly weak and her breath hitched in her throat at the sensation of Rei's body in such close proximity to her own. Minako swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat as she felt Rei's breath hot on her ear.

"And release..." Rei said.

Minako let the arrow go and watched it puncture the target just outside of the bullseye ring.

"Much better." Rei smiled. "With a little practice, I think you could become an excellent archer. I think you have a natural talent for it."

"Or maybe I just have a very good teacher." Minako bit her lip, her eyes locking intently on Rei's.

"Thank you." Rei managed to nervously choke out.

After several seconds, Rei forced herself to break eye contact with the blonde. Since they met, Rei had been trying desperately to fight off her overwhelming attraction toward Minako. Each time she managed to pull herself together and regain her composure, Minako seemed to look at her in a way that set her heart racing and put butterflies in her stomach all over again. Rei had never found herself to be this nervous and distracted around a woman before and she hoped that Minako hadn't noticed the effect she was having on her.

"Uh-do you want to take a few more shots?" Rei asked. "We still have a little time."

"Sure."

After a little while, Rei looked at her watch and realized that it had been almost an hour.

"We should really head back to the palace." Rei said. "Your next suitor will be here any minute. I don't want you to be late."

Rei picked up her jacket from the ground and a small photograph fluttered out of one of the inside pockets and to the ground. Minako bent down, picked up the photo and looked at it. The photo was of a middle-aged woman, with pale skin, long black hair and dark eyes. She looked strikingly similar to Rei.

"Is this your mother?" Minako asked.

"Yes." Rei nodded. "I've always kept a picture of her in my jacket since I began basic training."

"She's beautiful. You look just like her."

"You think so?" Rei asked.

"Absolutely. Long black hair, perfect skin and those exact same gorgeous amethyst eyes. You're the spitting image."

"Thank you." Rei smiled as she took the photo from Minako and tucked it safely back into her jacket pocket.

As they walked back toward the palace, Minako looked up to the balcony outside of her window where she noticed several orange roses blooming amongst some vines that had wound themselves around the balcony railing.

"What are you looking at?" Rei asked.

"Just the roses up on my balcony. Orange roses are my favorite."

Rei took out her bow and an arrow from her quiver. She aimed toward the rose and shot the arrow near the bottom of the stem, severing the rose from the vine that it had been attached to. As the rose plummeted downward from the balcony, Rei caught the flower in mid-air and handed it to Minako.

"For you, Princess." Rei smiled.

"Now you're just showing off." Minako giggled, bringing the flower up to her nose, inhaling its light, fresh scent.

"Well, maybe a little." Rei smirked.

* * *

Later that night.

Minako had been standing out on her balcony, holding the rose that Rei had given her earlier that afternoon. Minako looked up at the sky, noticing that it was much clearer than usual. The stars twinkled brightly against the black vastness of space. Being that the cloud cover of Venus was usually thick and dense, it wasn't often that the atmosphere was clear enough to actually see much of the galaxy. Minako decided that this would be a perfect opportunity to go to the castle's observatory to utilize the telescope. Minako walked back into her room and gently laid the rose down on her dresser. She left the room and walked down the hallway where she met her nursemaid walking in the opposite direction.

"Is there something I can do for you, Princess?" The woman asked.

"I was looking for Lieutenant Hino. Have you seen her? I want to go to the observatory and I was hoping she would escort me there."

"Lieutenant Hino is actually unavailable at the moment. I'll call for one of the other guardians to escort you right away-"

"Wait, what do you mean she's unavailable?" Minako asked, confused. "Where is she?"

"She was with your stylist. I don't believe she's made it back to her room yet. I don't think she's been in her room all day."

Minako's heart sank, she felt an instant, intense pang of jealously surge through her entire body.

"What are they doing?"

"As far as I know, they were having dinner together. Do you have a preference as to which guardian takes you to the observatory?"

Before Minako had a chance to say anything, she noticed her stylist and Rei coming down the hallway. The stylist clung tightly to Rei's arm.

"I'm happy you're here, Lieutenant." Minako said. "Could you please escort me to the observatory?"

"Yes. Of course, Princess. I'd be glad to."

"I guess duty calls." The stylist frowned. "Come and see me later, Lieutenant." She said seductively, slipping her hand into Rei's thick, dark hair. "My room's on the second floor. Third door on the left in the east wing. I'll wait up."

Rei cleared her throat. "Um...I."

"We're probably going to be pretty late." Minako said. "There's a spectacular view tonight. I'm not about to miss a minute of it."

"Goodnight." Rei looked at the stylist. "Thank you for inviting me to dinner."

"We'll be back later." Minako said, looking at her nursemaid.

"Have a good time."

Minako's nursemaid watched as Minako linked her arms around Rei's elbow as they made their way toward the front door of the castle.

"So, how was your dinner?" Minako asked as they stepped outside into the courtyard.

"It was fine." Rei said. "The food was good."

"And the company? It sure seemed like my stylist had a lot more than just food on the menu tonight."

"Yes, I also got that impression when she unbuckled my belt and tried to take my pants off during dessert."

"She really didn't waste any time..." Minako groaned.

"I'm sorry?"

"Oh. Earlier today when I was trying on my wedding dress, I overheard one of the seamstresses telling her about how Martians are apparently amazing lovers, now she wants validation. And you're the one she's after to get it."

"Hm. Why me? There are plenty of Martians around here. It's not like I'm the only one."

"Stop pretending to be so modest. Don't act like you don't know that women find you incredibly attractive." Minako playfully elbowed the raven-haired lieutenant.

Rei tried, but was unable to stop the smirk that had already begun creeping across her lips.

"So are you planning on pursuing..." Minako asked, the corners of her mouth turning downward in a slight frown.

"No." Rei shook her head. "Don't get me wrong, she's nice and I appreciate her interest, but she's just a bit too persistent and overzealous for my taste. Honestly, I usually prefer to be the one making the moves."

"A dominant alpha female like you would rather call the shots? I don't believe it." Minako said sarcastically.

"I just usually like it better that way." Rei shrugged.

"So are you not planning on telling me if my seamstress is right?" Minako asked. "Are Martians good lovers or aren't they?"

"Well...the majority of us give one hundred and ten percent into everything else, why should sex be any different?"

Minako smiled to herself and chuckled "Come on the observatory is this way." Minako took Rei by the hand and pulled her toward the observatory building behind the castle.

When they reached the building, Minako and Rei went inside and climbed a tall spiral staircase to the top of the building's observatory deck, where the large and extremely powerful telescope was located.

"Would you point it at Mars, please?" Minako asked. "It might actually be clear enough tonight to see Olympus Mons on the surface."

"Let me see here." Rei stepped over to the telescope which was connected to a large, complicated-looking computer system, though it wasn't completely dissimilar to some of the equipment she had used in the past.

After a few minutes, Rei watched the dome ceiling of the observatory open up, revealing the dark sky and billions of stars overhead. Rei scrolled through the list of objects on the computer screen and found Mars. The telescope moved upward and automatically adjusted its position, as it moved to point toward The Red Planet. Once the telescope had stopped moving, Rei looked through the eyepiece and focused the image.

"Here, have a look." Rei stepped aside so that Minako could look into the eyepiece.

"Your home planet is so beautiful."

"Do you see Olympus Mons?"

"Yes. You know, I've seen it so many times, but somehow it just gets more amazing each time. Have you ever visited the ruins of the Martian Kingdom? They're pretty close to Olympus Mons."

"Yes, I have." Rei nodded. "There's so much destruction there. It's awful."

"It was tragic. Olympus Mons had been dormant for thousands of years prior, they had no reason to believe it would erupt. Besides that, it's a shield volcano, it shouldn't have erupted as quickly and violently as it did. The only way shield volcanos erupt explosively is if water gets into in the vent. No one could have anticipated it."

"You really do know volcanos, don't you?" Rei said, impressed by Minako's knowledge.

"I do." Minako nodded. "I've studied some about the eruption too. It was during the coronation of the new Martian queen. Most of the royal family didn't even have time to evacuate the throne room. The eruption triggered a massive earthquake that caused the entire palace to crumble and collapse in just a matter of minutes. The people who didn't die almost immediately from the eruption itself or from the earthquake suffocated from all of the poisonous gas from the eruption while they tried to escape. There were no survivors of the royal family. Their entire bloodline was lost."

"I know. Recovery personnel struggled to even identify a lot of the casualties, many of the bodies were badly disfigured."

"That had be so terrifying." Minako said. "They must have felt helpless. Just having to stand there and watch..."

"Any volcanic eruption is frightening." Rei said. "But, a mountain that huge, I can't even imagine the horror and panic it would have caused."

"Have you seen an eruption before?" Minako asked.

"Yes." Rei nodded. "A few years ago, when I was on Io, a volcano erupted. It was pretty serious, but that mountain was only a tiny fraction of the size Olympus Mons is."

"It's amazing how something so beautiful and majestic could be so volatile, dangerous and destructive." Minako said.

"You have to respect the raw, awesome power of nature." Rei said. "All those years ago, the Martian royal family flourished with some of the strongest, most skilled warriors the universe had ever seen. They could have easily eliminated any alien threat they faced, but even the most skilled soldiers are no match for nature's power."

"I suppose not." Minako said. "If a Martian couldn't survive, no one could."

"Well...on a little bit of a happier note, I was hoping I'd run into you tonight. I have something for you."

"Really? What is it?"

Rei reached into the inside pocket of her jacket and pulled out a small box, she removed the lid from the box and held it out toward Minako. "Here. This is an actual sample of Olympus Mons." Rei gave the box to Minako. "It's from my personal collection. I picked that piece up from the base of the mountain a few years ago."

"You're giving this to me?" Minako asked, carefully taking the piece of rust red colored rock from the box. "To keep?"

"Of course. I thought you might like to have it." Rei said. "The other day in the library, you were so enthusiastic and seemed to really love Olympus Mons. I contacted a friend back home and asked him to send one of my samples here. I know it could never be the same as actually getting to visit for yourself, but-"

"This is perfect." Minako placed her index finger over Rei's lips, silencing her. "I love it. And you have no idea how much I appreciate this." Minako wrapped her arms around Rei and hugged her tightly. "Thank you so much."

"You're welcome. I'm glad you like it." Rei said, returning the embrace.

"You're really a lot softer and sweeter than you let on to be..." Minako smiled as she slowly pulled away from Rei. "Aren't you?"

"I don't know about that…I'm-"

"I know. Much too tough and stubborn to ever admit to it?" Minako chuckled.

Rei shrugged and placed her hands into her pockets as she stared down at her own boots.

"I had a feeling your heart wasn't nearly as cold as you'd like everyone to believe. If it makes you uncomfortable, you don't have to talk about it." Minako placed her hand on Rei's shoulder. "But, I still know that it's true." She leaned forward and placed a gentle, chaste kiss to Rei's cheek.

Rei felt her heart literally skip a beat inside of her chest. Her skin grew warm as a subtle shade of red crept across the pale flesh of her face and neck.

"Did I embarrass you?" Minako giggled.

A lump formed in Rei's throat and she couldn't even will herself to speak no matter how hard she tried.

"A speechless Martian. Doesn't happen very often." Minako laughed. "Let's look at Mars again." Minako moved toward the telescope, pulling Rei with her.

* * *

Later that night.

"Do you want to go outside and look at the constellations?" Minako asked.

"Sure." Rei nodded.

Rei offered Minako her hand to help her down the stairs. Once they got outside, Rei took off her jacket and spread it out on the ground for Minako to sit on.

"I don't want your dress to get dirty." Rei said.

"You're so thoughtful. Thank you." Minako said as she sat down on top of the jacket.

Rei sat down next to Minako and stretched her legs out in front of her.

"We almost never have nights this clear." Minako said, leaning her head back to look up at the sky. "I love being able to see so many stars."

"Me too. I've spent a lot of time looking up at the sky back on Mars. Our atmosphere is much thinner so we get a great view a lot of the time."

"It's strange how our home worlds have only one planet separating them, but they're both so drastically different." Minako said.

"I know. Just like people, each planet in our galaxy has such unique characteristics. There's so much diversity out there. I'm lucky to have gotten to see as much as I have, even if it hasn't always been under the best of circumstances."

"Where will you go when you leave Venus?" Minako asked.

"I don't know yet. Where ever I'm most needed, I suppose."

"What if you stayed here?"

Rei shrugged. "Venus is almost always at peace. My skills would probably be better put to use in combat or training recruits for combat. The next threat is never very far away."

"Do you ever get scared when you fight?" Minako asked, moving closer to Rei.

"Not really. I don't have time to be scared when I fight. I trust my skills and my training. And do the best I can. It's kept me alive thus far."

"You're obviously very brave. I would be scared to death." Minako said. "I could never do what you do."

"Luckily, you don't have to worry. There are plenty of soldiers out there to fight for and protect you. That's what we're here for."

"Don't you ever wish you didn't have to fight though?"

"If you mean would I prefer times of peace in the galaxy over times of conflict, the answer is yes, of course I would. I wish everyone could coexist in peace and harmony. Unfortunately, the universe just doesn't work that way, Princess. And I'll always fight to protect this galaxy and serve the Moon Kingdom. It's my duty. It's what I was born to do."

Rei laid down on the ground, she placed her hands behind her head and stared up at the stars in the sky. Minako looked back at the beautiful Martian beside her, trying to figure out what exactly Rei was thinking, though her face was almost expressionless.

"Could I ask you something?" Minako said.

"Ask me anything you want." Rei replied.

"Do you believe in destiny? I guess what I mean is, do you think that at the very beginning of our lives our path is already predetermined for us and everything happens for a reason?"

"It's a complicated question." Rei said. "But, I do believe in a higher power that rules over the universe. We're so tiny in the grand scheme of things, you know? I do think there's a powerful force out there that ultimately determines our fates and helps guide us toward them. But, I think it's up to each of us to recognize, embrace and fulfill those fates. So I suppose, in short, I'd say, yes. I do believe in destiny. Why are you burdening yourself with such a heavy question?"

"Just curious, I guess." Minako said as she laid down next to Rei.

Minako moved impossibly close to Rei, until she was lying shoulder to shoulder with the Martian. Minako stared up at the sky, watching the stars twinkle as she tried to pick out specific constellations.

"Look, there's Libra." Minako reached up and pointed toward a relatively faint group of stars directly overhead.

"Yep. You're right." Rei watched as Minako used her finger to trace the shape of the constellation.

"And Aries is all the way over there." Minako pointed across the sky opposite of their position.

Minako sat up just slightly, she held her breath and nervously laid her head down on Rei's shoulder, desperately hoping that Rei wouldn't mind. Minako greatly craved the Martian's affection and right now, she wanted nothing more than to be as close to her as possible.

"Are you uncomfortable?" Minako asked.

"No. Not at all."

Minako smiled to herself.

As Rei breathed, she inhaled the light scent of cherry blossoms that lingered behind on Minako's soft blonde hair from her shampoo. Being so close to the princess caused Rei's heart to begin beating wildly in her chest, it thumped so hard that for a moment, Rei thought that her heart actually escaping from her ribcage and fluttering away up amongst the stars may have been a real possibility. Rei silently prayed that Minako wouldn't notice and catch on to just how anxious the beautiful blonde goddess made her.

"Look. There's a shooting star." Minako said, watching the streak of light cross the sky. "Did you see it?"

"Mmhm. Don't forget to make a wish."

"I already did." Minako smiled.

"What did you wish for, Princess?"

"Don't be silly, Lieutenant. If I tell you, then it'll never come true." Minako giggled.

At some point during their stargazing, Rei and Minako had accidentally fallen asleep together. Minako slept peacefully, her cheek pressed to Rei's chest, following the gentle rise and fall of the Martian's breathing pattern while one of her hands rested flat in the middle of Rei's abdomen. Rei had one of her arms wrapped protectively around the small of Minako's back. As Minako slept, she dreamt about her wedding. She imagined herself in her gorgeous white wedding dress standing in the castle's throne room, opposite Rei, who was wearing a perfectly-fitting black suit. Minako fantasized about Rei taking her hands in her own as they exchanged wedding vows and rings, eventually sealing their marriage with a kiss.

Rei opened her eyes, her gaze darting around her surroundings as she silently cursed herself for falling asleep on duty. Rei breathed a sigh of relief when she realized that everything was fine, there was nothing except the still, quiet darkness of the night and Minako fast asleep, her head resting on the Martian's chest.

"Princess. Wake up." Rei whispered as she gently shook Minako's shoulder.

"Hhmm..." Minako slowly opened her eyes. "What's going on?"

"We fell asleep." Rei said.

"I guess we did." Minako yawned and sat up. "I was dreaming about my wedding." She smiled.

"I think this is the first time you've mentioned your wedding and actually smiled." Rei said.

"Well, surprisingly I was happy in this dream."

"That's good. Maybe it's a sign that your true love is close by."

"I think they are. I really do." Minako said, her eyes finding Rei's in the darkness.

"Well, I uh, should get you back to the palace. It's getting late." Rei looked away.

When they reached Minako's bedroom, the blonde took the piece of Olympus Mons that Rei had given her and placed it on the table next to her bed.

"I'm going to keep this right here, so I can look at it all the time." Minako smiled. "Thank you again."

"You're welcome."

"And thanks for coming with me to the observatory. I had a good time."

"The pleasure was all mine." Rei returned the smile.

"Would you mind unzipping my dress so I can change?" Minako asked, turning her back to Rei and lifting up her hair.

"Sure...okay." Rei reached up and carefully pulled the zipper downward.

Minako slipped her shoes off, she then tugged the dress down her shoulders and let it slip off of her body, before pooling around her ankles in the middle of the floor.

"Oh. All right then." Rei blushed and nervously cleared her throat as she quickly turned her head away from the blonde. "I'll just give you some privacy. Goodnight." Rei kept her eyes glued to the floor as she walked toward the door.

"Wait. You don't have to go. I'll only be a minute."

Minako walked into her closet and slipped into a night gown. Rei picked up the dress from the floor and handed it to the blonde.

"Thank you." Minako took the dress and placed into a laundry basket. "So...are you tired at all?"

"Not really." Rei shrugged.

"Good. Me either. Keep me company for a while." Minako said.

"I...I would, but I don't think I probably should be in here...it's awfully late."

"It's fine." Minako wrapped her hands around Rei's forearm and pulled her across the room toward the bed. "Don't worry about it. Sit down."

Minako climbed up onto the bed and sat down cross-legged near the headboard as Rei sat down in the large arm chair several feet away from the bed.

"You're a bit far away, don't you think?" Minako chuckled. "You can sit on the bed."

"Uh. I'm okay here. Really. This is fine."

"All right." Minako rolled her eyes.

As soon as Artemis saw Rei sit down, he quickly got out of his cat bed on the floor and jumped up into Rei's lap.

"Hello again, little guy." Rei smiled as she patted the cat's head.

Rei gently stroked Artemis' fur as she talked with the princess, but it was only a short while later when Rei realized that Minako had stopped responding to the conversation. She looked over at the bed and noticed that Minako was now fast asleep. Rei quietly stood up and gently set Artemis next to Minako. She then took a blanket that was folded up at the bottom of the bed and draped it over the blonde.

"Goodnight, Princess." Rei said softly as she walked toward the door.

Rei turned out the light and quietly closed the door behind her. As she walked down the hallway, Rei noticed Minako's nursemaid walking toward her.

"Lieutenant, you're back from the observatory." The woman said.

"Yes. We got back a little while ago. I'm sorry it's so late, but the princess is asleep in her room now."

"Oh good. I was just on my way to check if you two were back yet. Were you able to see much?"

"Yes. A lot, actually. The princess certainly knows a lot about astronomy, astrology and geology."

"She does." The nursemaid nodded. "Those topics have always fascinated her ever since she was a child."

"She's an extraordinary woman." Rei said.

"That she is. She's going to make a wonderful queen someday."

"I know she will. I can tell. Venus is lucky to have her." Rei agreed. "If you'll excuse me, I really should get to bed. I have to be up again in just a few hours."

"Of course, Lieutenant. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

When Rei returned to her own room, she noticed a large vase full of Casablanca lilies sitting on the night stand next to the bed. Rei smiled and walked over toward the bed, looking at the flowers. There wasn't a note included among the lilies, but Rei could only assume that they were from Minako. Rei took one of the lilies from the vase and sat down on the bed, she spent the next few minutes thinking about her mother and then about Minako. Rei had never met anyone quite like Minako before. One would certainly expect that The Princess of Venus would be nothing short of stunningly beautiful, that came as no surprise at all to Rei, but she felt that there was much more than only physical attraction to the blonde. Minako was genuinely sweet, intelligent, kind and caring. She wasn't at all arrogant or entitled as many royal children tended to be. Rei hated to admit it, but in the limited amount of time that she and Minako had spent together over the past few days, Rei had grown quite attached to the princess. Throughout her life, Rei always found getting close to people to be extremely difficult for her. In fact, Rei hadn't had many romantic relationships last longer than only a month or two, typically due to her inability to get close to people and express emotion. But, for some reason with Minako, things were different. Rei greatly enjoyed spending time with the princess and talking to her. Rei had never once felt so much physical and emotional attraction to any one woman. She had certainly lusted after her fair share of women in the past, but this felt dramatically different, strange and even confusing to Rei. She worried that this was something else entirely. Could it possibly be that for the first time ever in her life, Lieutenant Rei Hino was actually falling in love with another person? Rei's mind raced a mile a minute. The thought of falling in love in general scared her more than anything else in her life, but even worse, she wasn't just falling in love with any ordinary woman, she was falling for The Princess of Venus, a woman who would always remain out of the reach of a commoner such as herself.

Rei sighed heavily, staring at the lily in her hand. She placed her other hand on her forehead and ran her fingers back through her long, black hair.

"You cannot fall for her, Rei." She said aloud to herself. "Snap out of it, you big idiot. You know you could never be with her."


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning came much sooner than Rei had anticipated. She rolled over in bed and slowly opened her eyes. She looked at the clock on the nightstand which indicated that it was just after four a.m. Rei got up out of bed and got dressed. She then quietly made her way downstairs to the castle's temple as she had each morning since coming to Venus. Rei pushed open the heavy wooden doors to the shrine room and closed them behind her. Rei concentrated and used her powers to light a fire in the pit in front of the altar. She knelt down in front of the flames, closed her eyes and began to quietly meditate. After several minutes, Rei opened her eyes and stared into the flames as she began to pray. Rei was so engrossed in her divination that she never even heard the large wooden door creaking open behind her as Minako slipped into the room.

Rei concentrated hard on the crackling red, orange and yellow blaze before her, the intense heat swelled outward, causing several beads of perspiration to begin to drip down her temples and forehead.

"Rin...Pyō...Tō..." Rei spoke.

Minako watched silently, not even allowing herself to breathe as Rei chanted, creating a different hand gesture with each word she spoke.

"Sha...Kai...Jin..."

"Retsu...Zai...Zen..."

When Rei spoke the last word and completed the corresponding hand gesture, Minako watched the flames rise higher and roar violently. Rei concentrated on the fire as an image within the flames slowly began materialize before her eyes. Over the past few days, all of Rei's visions had been foggy and unclear, but this morning Rei had been able to divine a much clearer image. She saw herself and Minako together in a dark, empty room. A heavy, worrisome and foreboding atmosphere seemed to surround them. Rei could tell that Minako was immensely upset by the tears that freely streamed down her face. Rei hugged her tightly, when they separated, Rei took Minako's hand in her own and stared into the blonde's deep blue eyes. Rei reached up and placed her hand on Minako's cheek, she used her thumb to gently wipe away the blonde's tears. Although on the surface, Rei's expression appeared to be generally devoid of any emotion at all, her eyes told a different story. Her dark amethyst eyes were abnormally heavy, melancholy and unusually anxious.

As Minako watched Rei stare intently into the flames, the blonde inadvertently brushed against a painting of the God Mars and Goddess Venus, which hung on the back wall of the room, near the door. The painting fell off of the wall and clattered to the floor with a crash, causing Rei to jolt out of her trance and practically jump to her feet. Rei whipped around and noticed Minako standing near the doorway.

"I'm really sorry." Minako immediately apologized.

"It's all right." Rei smiled softly as she walked toward the blonde.

Minako began to bend down to pick up the painting.

"I'll get it." Rei said as she bent down and picked up the painting before Minako could.

"You're awake awfully early this morning, Princess." Rei said as she carefully hung the painting back on the wall. "Especially after such a late night."

"I couldn't sleep."

"That's too bad. Is anything bothering you?"

"No." Minako shook her head. "At least I don't think so."

"What brings you all the way down here?"

"Well...I wanted to see you."

"Me? Why?" Rei asked, surprised.

"I like talking to you. You listen and you treat me like a normal person. I appreciate that. And besides that, I wanted to apologize for falling asleep on you last night. I woke up in the middle of the night and you were gone."

"Oh, it's okay. Not a problem. I'd been talking to myself for about five minutes before I realized you were asleep. So I just let myself out. But, how did you know I'd be down here this morning?"

"The other guardians said you wake up early every morning to pray. So, I had a feeling you might be down here. They also say you're clairvoyant, is it true?"

"Yes. It's true." Rei nodded.

"So, can you read my palm or-" Minako held her open palm out toward Rei.

"It doesn't work quite like that." Rei said, placing her own hand underneath Minako's and her other over top of the blonde's palm. "You see, I practice divination though fire reading. It's difficult to control and often unpredictable, but sometimes I'm able to receive visions of the future. I see what God wants to show me and only when He sees fit."

"You saw something just now in the flames, didn't you?" Minako asked, looking up into Rei's eyes. "You seemed a little anxious. What was it?"

"It was nothing. Don't worry, Princess." Rei said, not wanting to cause Minako any distress, especially since she had no context for the vision. Rei then let go of Minako's hand.

"I'm glad you're here. I wanted to thank you for the lilies. It was you that sent them to my room, wasn't it?"

"You got them?" Minako smiled. "I really hope you like them."

"I do. Very much. They're beautiful. Thank you…my mother would have absolutely loved them."

"I'm glad...so I was wondering...are you hungry?" Minako asked. "If you are, you're more than welcome to join me for some breakfast."

"I thought the chefs didn't serve breakfast until around seven. It's not even six a.m. yet. I don't think anyone else is even awake besides the two of us. I wouldn't want to wake anyone-"

"I can use the kitchen, you know." Minako laughed. "I don't need someone to wait on me every minute of the day. I might not be a professional, but I'm not totally helpless. Do you know how to cook?"

"A little." Rei nodded.

"Good. Come with me."

Minako led Rei through the castle, through the main dining room and into one of the castle's gigantic, fully stocked kitchens.

"Do you like waffles?" Rei asked, opening one of the pantry doors.

"Sure. Do you like blueberries? We can make blueberry waffles."

"Perfect."

Rei took an apron that was hanging on a hook on the wall and tied it behind her back.

"You look pretty good in an apron." Minako said. "Not quite as good as you do in a tux, but I like this too."

"Thanks." Rei smiled.

Once they had finished cooking, Minako placed the waffles on two plates along with some fresh berries, bacon and eggs.

"I think we did pretty well, don't you?" Rei said, looking over at Minako.

"Absolutely. Everything smells great." Minako agreed. "But, I think it's missing one thing...how about some whipped cream?"

"Definitely." Rei nodded.

Minako took a can of whipped cream and sprayed some on top of the waffles on both plates.

"Do you drink coffee?"

"Almost every day." Rei said.

"Me too." Minako said as she reached for two mugs.

Minako and Rei then took the plates and their coffee into the dining room, where they sat down and began to eat.

"Everything tastes pretty good too." Minako said.

"It does." Rei agreed. "These fresh blueberries are great." She took a bite of a waffle and looked over at Minako.

"We have a huge blueberry patch on the other side of the castle." Minako moved her chair closer to Rei, she reached up and nonchalantly used her thumb to wipe away a small dab of whipped cream from the corner of Rei's mouth. "They get picked fresh all summer."

Rei couldn't help but smile as she nervously cleared her throat.

"So, do you have any plans for today?" Minako asked.

"Um...I'm going to be working some more with the new Army recruits. We're going to be doing more archery practice and probably some sword practice too."

"I know you'll train them well." Minako smiled. "Just make sure you're careful."

"Don't worry, I'll be fine...you know, I have to say...you're really nothing like what I expected you to be…"

"Really? How am I different?" Minako asked.

"You're just so level-headed and not pretentious or arrogant at all. You're really selfless and you don't treat your servants like servants. You treat them like family or friends. You seem to care a lot about people in general. Even the most ordinary of us."

"I'm happy that I've made an impression on you. Although, you're anything but ordinary, Lieutenant."

Rei's eyes met Minako's, the Martian desperately wanted to feel Minako's lips against her own, she wanted to feel Minako's hands in her hair and she longed to feel the princess' delicate porcelain skin beneath her own fingertips. Rei searched deep within herself for the courage to disregard her typically logical mind and follow her heart instead as she slowly began to lean in toward the blonde, but she was quickly pulled to her senses when she heard the door to the dining room creak open. Rei and Minako both turned to see Minako's nursemaid entering the room.

"Good Morning." Minako's nursemaid said, cheerfully. "Am I interrupting anything?"

"Not at all." Rei took her napkin from her lap and set it down on the table as she stood up. "I should really be getting ready for my training session. Would you please excuse me?" Rei looked downward at Minako, who was still seated.

"Of course, Lieutenant." Minako nodded.

"Thank you very much for having breakfast with me." Rei then forced herself to give both women a small smile before quickly exiting the room.

As Rei walked down the hall, she noticed Ami and Makoto walking toward her.

"Morning, Rei." Ami said.

"Are you coming to breakfast?" Makoto asked.

"No. I'm on my way outside. I have a training session to prepare for."

"Are you sure you don't want to eat something first?" Makoto said.

"I'm all right."

"Rei, I wanted to ask you, would you mind helping out the genetic research team I've been working with?" Ami asked.

"I'd like to help you, but how could I possibly help with something like that? I'm not a scientist."

"We need DNA samples. We're studying genetics, analyzing DNA, mapping our family trees, studying genetic disorders, examining blood types. That sort of thing."

"Oh. So you just need a blood sample?"

"Yes." Ami nodded. "It would definitely help us."

"All of us guardians are helping out Ami's interns." Makoto said. "Who knows, we might even find out something interesting about our ancestors."

"I'll do it, but I rather doubt you'll find much interesting information about my family. My family isn't even very big."

"That's okay. The interns are practicing mapping families of all sizes." Ami said. "Come by the lab later. I'll be there all afternoon. We'll get a sample from you."

"All right. You know I'm not the biggest fan of needles though."

"This coming from a supposedly fearless warrior." Makoto teased. "Not to mention one with an entire sleeve of tattoos."

"I didn't like needles when I was getting tattooed either, but it was worth it to cover up the scars."

"Well, I'll take your sample myself." Ami said. "And I promise I'll be as gentle as possible. But, make sure you've had something to eat before you come."

"Will do." Rei nodded. "I'll see you later."


	4. Chapter 4

Over the course of the next week, Minako continued routinely meeting several suitors every day, with each meeting proving to be just as unsuccessful as the one before it. Minako had become increasingly frustrated with each passing day, the more men and women she was forced to meet with, the more desperately her lonely heart ached and longed for only the gorgeous Martian warrior. Minako dismissed each suitor as quickly and tactfully as she could and tried to find reasons to spend as much time with Rei as possible. During that time, Minako had continued to flirt with Rei, she had been almost certain that Rei wanted to kiss her the morning that they had breakfast together, but Minako found herself confused since that day, as Rei hadn't even come close to making any kind of romantic advance toward her. Minako's heart ached to confess her feelings to the Martian, but the princess refrained from doing so as she greatly feared being rejected by the one person whom she truly loved.

* * *

It was early one sunny afternoon when Minako was in her bedroom along with her nursemaid. Minako pulled on a pair of black horseback riding breeches as well as a pair of brown, knee-high riding boots.

"So, you're going horseback riding?" The nursemaid asked.

"Yes. Would you please see that one of the stable hands gets two of the horses ready?"

"Of course. Are there any particular horses you'd like to take out this afternoon?"

"Preferably Phobos and Deimos."

"Very well." The nursemaid nodded.

"Would you be able to braid my hair too?" Minako asked.

"Sure, honey. Sit down."

Minako sat down on the edge of the bed and her nursemaid sat down next to her.

"How would like me to braid it?" The nursemaid asked, running her fingers through Minako's long, blonde locks. "Do you want it all braided or..."

"Could you just do a loose braid on each side from the front and have them meet in the back? I'll leave the rest of it down."

"Of course."

Minako's nursemaid gently smoothed out the blonde's hair and began braiding the first side. "You are taking one of the guardians along with you-"

"Yes. I've already asked Lieutenant Hino to accompany me. She should be here in just a few minutes."

"You've been spending an awful lot of time with Lieutenant Hino lately. You two must be getting along well."

"We are. I like spending time with her. I don't feel pressured when I'm with her." Minako said. "She treats me like a normal person. I feel like I can relax. And she's a total sweetheart, even if she pretends not to be."

* * *

When Rei and Minako arrived at the stable, there were two large, nearly identical jet-black horses saddled and tethered to a fence post.

"Have you ever ridden a horse before?" Minako asked.

"I have, but it's been a while."

"Well...meet Phobos and Deimos."

"Named after the twin love children of Ares and Aphrodite. Cute." Rei laughed. "You guys are really into your mythology, aren't you?"

"Most of us." Minako chuckled. "But, you don't have much room to talk, Lieutenant, your people named your planet's satellites after the same twins, so Martians are just as caught up in mythology as the rest of us."

"I guess you've got me there." Rei laughed.

"These boys are my favorites." Minako said, gently stroking Phobos' nose. "Which one do you want?"

"Which ever won't throw me off and trample me, I guess." Rei said.

"Here, take Phobos. He's a little less wild." Minako smiled, she untied the horse and handed the reins to Rei.

"Less wild." Rei said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. She slipped her jacket off and tethered it to the horse's saddle along with her bow and arrow quiver.

"Deimos is a little hard-headed. He can be pretty stubborn and a bit of a handful...a lot like a certain Martian Lieutenant that I happen to know." Minako laughed and flashed Rei a flirty smile.

"Is that so? And they call me a ball buster." Rei snorted.

"I don't know if I'd say that." Minako shrugged. "You're tough, but I think you're fair."

"Thanks...do you need any help getting up there?" Rei asked as she watched Minako place her foot in one of the stirrups.

"Does it look like I need any help?" Minako smirked as she swiftly and smoothly mounted the horse.

"I guess not." Rei laughed.

Rei slipped her boot into one of the stirrups and mounted her own horse.

"You ready?" Minako asked.

"Ready when you are."

Minako and Rei followed the trail leading away from the stable at a slow, leisurely pace.

"So where are we headed anyway?" Rei asked. "Anywhere in particular?"

"There's a beautiful, secluded waterfall beyond the castle grounds. I thought I'd show it to you. It's one of my favorite places to go around here."

"Sounds good."

Rei followed Minako toward a heavily wooded area, fairly distant from the backside of palace. When they reached the furthest limit of the castle grounds, where they could barely even still see the palace on the horizon, Rei and Minako stopped at the large stone wall that enclosed the castle grounds. Rei noticed that a small section of the wall was broken and crumbled.

"We'll have to jump this part of the wall." Minako said.

"Don't you think you should have this fixed?" Rei said. "It's a security hazard."

"If I tell anyone it's broken, how would I ever be able to sneak out?" Minako laughed. "The wall's too high to jump everywhere else. And there are always guards at the gates."

Rei just laughed and shook her head. "Seriously, though. You really shouldn't be doing that. It's dangerous to go all the way out here alone."

"Yeah. Yeah." Minako rolled her eyes. "You worry too much. You sound like my parents."

"I just wouldn't want anything to happen to you, Princess."

Minako smiled to herself as she signaled her horse to jump over the crumbled stone and to the other side of the wall. Rei then guided her horse to do the same.

"Follow me. It's this way." Minako gently kicked the horse with her heels to get him to start moving again.

"You know, you're a pretty good horseback rider." Rei said.

"You think so?"

"Definitely. That was a smooth jump. I'm impressed."

"That was nothing. Do you think you can keep up with me?" Minako smirked.

"I think I can hold my own."

"Good. Prove it." Minako guided her horse to speed up until he was galloping as fast as he could, leaving Rei behind.

"Son of a-" Rei quickly signaled her own horse to pick up its pace as she raced to catch up to Minako.

Phobos galloped quickly, Rei held on tight to the reins as she bounced up and down in the saddle, never taking her eyes off of Minako, who was still a fairly substantial distance ahead of her. Rei could see the waterfall off in the distance as she began to close in on the blonde. When Rei finally caught up with Minako in a large grassy clearing at the waterfall's location, she pulled back on the reins a little bit too drastically, causing Phobos to come to an almost immediate dead stop. The force of the sudden stop caused Rei to catapult from the horse's back, over his head and land hard on her back in the huge pool of water at the base of the waterfall.

"Oh my God. Are you all right?" Minako quickly dismounted from her horse and ran toward Rei. "Is anything broken?"

"Nothing's broken. I'm fine. I landed on a rock though." Rei groaned and sat up on the large rock that protruded slightly above the water line. "I'll be sore in the morning."

Minako jumped into the approximately waist-level water and waded over to Rei as quickly as she could.

"Are you injured at all?"

"Only my pride, Princess." Rei joked.

Minako smiled a little, but the smile quickly faded away when she noticed there was a jagged shard of rock sticking up above the water and that there was a tear in Rei's shirt sleeve, which was now saturated with blood.

"You're bleeding. Come here." Minako helped Rei stand up and guided her out of the water.

Minako slipped her arm around Rei's waist and helped her walk over to a large, flat boulder on top of the grass and then slowly guided the Martian down on top of the boulder.

"We need to take this off." Minako began quickly unbuttoning Rei's shirt.

When she reached the last button, she carefully slipped the shirt off of Rei's body and dropped it to the ground. She looked at Rei's arm and saw a moderate, bleeding laceration, just below the sleeve of the Martian's t shirt.

"Your arm." Minako said, worriedly. "This is all my fault. I'm so sorry-"

"I'm fine." Rei said. "It's not serious. Don't worry about it."

"You have to let me take care of you." Minako walked over to Phobos and picked up Rei's jacket. She rifled through the pockets until she found Rei's handkerchief.

"Do you have more of these?" Minako asked unfolding the handkerchief.

"Sure. Lots of them."

"Are you attached to this one in particular?"

"No?" Rei said, a questioning tone in her voice.

"Good." Minako tore off a piece of the handkerchief and dipped it into the water.

Minako returned to Rei's side, and gently used the damp handkerchief to clean some dirt and debris from Rei's wound. Rei winced a little in pain at the sting of the ice cold water against the open wound. She tried to hide her discomfort from Minako, albeit her attempt was clearly unsuccessful.

"I know it hurts." Minako said, sympathetically. "Just try to hold still, if you can. I have to clean it out. I don't want you to get an infection."

"Really, this isn't necessary. I'm okay. You don't need to fuss over me."

"Sshh. Just let me do it." Minako said, her eyes meeting the Martian's. "All right, Rei? Please?"

"Okay." Rei smiled.

"What are you smiling about?" Minako asked, confused.

"It's just that, this is the first time you've ever called me anything except Lieutenant. It's nice."

Minako returned the smile as she continued delicately tending to the wound. When Minako had finished, she carefully took the remainder of the torn handkerchief that was still dry and tied it securely around Rei's bicep, fashioning a temporary make-shift bandage.

"There. That should be good enough for now. You might need some stitches, we'll have one of the medics look at it as soon we get back to the palace. We can go now...I really am sorry. If I hadn't have been so reckless and made you chase after me-"

"Minako. It's all right. Honest. It was just an accident." Rei said, taking the blonde's hand in her own. "Thank you for taking such good care of me. I'd rather stay here and look at the waterfall. You were right, it is beautiful. This whole place is."

Minako breathed a small sigh of relief that Rei wasn't seriously injured or at all angry.

"There's a really nice view from behind the waterfall. There's a big rock shelf. Sometimes I like to sit on the edge and just watch the water and the scenery."

"Great. Let's do that." Rei said.

Minako followed Rei around the pool of water and across several large rocks that they used as stepping-stones. Rei jumped over onto the ledge behind the waterfall and extended her hand to Minako to help her across the gap. Minako hadn't noticed before because she was much too concerned about tending to Rei's injury, but she now found herself immensely distracted by Rei's soaking wet t shirt as it clung tightly to every inch of her toned upper body.

"Be careful." Rei said.

Minako took Rei's hand and jumped across the small gap, she stumbled slightly when the toe of her boot grazed over a small stone, she wrapped her free hand around Rei's shoulders to catch herself. Rei securely wrapped her arm around the small of the blonde's back and pulled her close to steady her.

"Are you all right?" Rei asked.

Minako nodded, looking up into Rei's eyes. "Sorry. I tripped. I wasn't paying attention."

"It's okay."

Rei slowly let go of Minako and walked toward the ledge, where she sat down, taking in the sights of the waterfall and scenery around her. Rei watched Phobos and Deimos happily drinking from the pool of water below. It was peaceful and natural. There wasn't a man-made structure to be found and the only noise surrounding she and Minako were sounds of animals rustling and falling water.

"I come here when I'm stressed or to think. Or when I just need to escape from the palace for a little while." Minako said, sitting down next to Rei. "It helps me relax and clear my mind."

"I understand why. It's nice here. It's quiet and peaceful."

"I don't know if anyone knows it exists. I've never seen another person here before." Minako slid over, just a little bit closer to the Martian. "I've never even brought someone here with me until now."

Minako watched as Rei shifted her position and uncomfortably tugged at her t shirt, pulling the wet fabric away from her body.

"Your shirt would dry a lot faster if you took it off and laid it out in the sunlight." Minako said.

"It would." Rei nodded. "But, I'd really prefer to leave it on."

"You don't seem like the type of person to be shy about your body..."

"Are you trying to get me naked, Princess?" Rei laughed.

"Uh. N...no...I was-I just-" Minako stuttered, a dark red hue now gracing her cheeks.

"I'm kidding." Rei chuckled. "I promise I look much better fully clothed."

"What, are you afraid you have too many muscles or something?" Minako said sarcastically. "I mean from what I can tell, you look pretty good to me."

"Thank you. But, I'm really not comfortable with my body. I just-I have a lot of scars and I don't like for anyone to see them, that's all. I can't even stand to look at them myself. That's actually why I got this tattoo. To cover the ones on my arm. I hated looking at them and it became too difficult to always keep trying to hide them."

"You shouldn't feel like you have hide them though. You're in the military. You've seen intense combat. You're bound to come away with some scars. It's practically inevitable."

"It's not only a few. It's a lot. A lot of horrible, ugly, disfiguring scars all over my body. Scars that I wouldn't even have if I hadn't have been so pathetically weak when I needed to have been at my strongest."

"Wha...what are you talking about?"

"Do you remember that night at the observatory when I told you about the volcanic eruption I saw when I was on Io?"

"Yes." Minako nodded.

"I didn't only see it happen. I was trapped in the middle of it with a group of soldiers. One of my fellow soldiers got caught underneath a boulder. I saw the fire coming. I tried to control it, I held it off long enough for him to free himself and escape, but that was all I could do. It was too strong, I was badly injured and the next thing I remember, I was waking up in the hospital in unbearable pain."

Rei looked over at Minako, who was listening intently and waiting for her to continue speaking.

"The doctors said I almost lost my arm. I'm so grateful that I didn't, but I'm even more grateful that was lucky enough to keep my life. After all the surgeries to repair the burn damage, there was nothing the doctors could do about the scarring. It's just something I've been insecure about for a long time."

"Show me." Minako said softly. "Please?"

"Only if you promise that you won't see me any differently afterward."

Minako observed a painfully obvious expression of apprehension and vulnerability manifest itself in Rei's eyes, something she had never thought she would see in the Lieutenant.

"Of course I won't." Minako reached over and touched Rei's hand.

"Okay. I have to warn you though, it's hard to look at." Rei got up onto her knees, untucked her shirt from her pants and slowly pulled it upward and over her head. Rei then dropped the shirt down into a heavy wet heap next to her.

Rei inhaled a sharp, nervous breath, watching as Minako's eyes slowly wandered all over her upper body. Minako didn't appear to be fazed at all, in fact Minako's lack of any initial reaction at all confused and concerned Rei. She worried that the princess may have been too repulsed to even speak.

"It's all right if you want to look away." Rei said. "I wouldn't blame you at all."

Rei reached for her shirt, but was stopped by Minako's hand on her wrist. Minako didn't speak and never took her eyes off of Rei for even a moment, she couldn't help but want to touch the Martian as she silently knelt in front of her. Minako reached out and tentatively ran her fingertips over the raised, disfigured skin on the Martian's pale chest, over her heart. Minako could feel Rei's heartbeat steadily begin to increase beneath her fingertips. Rei's skin was cold and damp and she shivered slightly against Minako's touch.

"I'm not hurting you, am I?" Minako asked, softly.

"No." Rei shook her head. "They're all fully healed now."

Minako's hand slowly slipped downward, between Rei's small bra-clad breasts and down to her abdomen. Rei watched as Minako's fingertips gently traced over each individual muscle of her tightly toned stomach.

"I warned you that it was bad..." Rei swallowed the lump in her throat and looked away from Minako. "Please don't remember me this way."

"Rei. This is only flesh. And I don't think these scars mean you were weak at all. I think they mean exactly the opposite. You were and still are an exceptionally brave warrior. You risked your own life to save another. It doesn't get any more heroic than self-sacrifice."

Rei desperately wanted to look at Minako, but she kept her head down, no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't will herself to look the blonde in the eyes.

"Listen to me, scars don't change who you are..." Minako gently placed her index and middle fingers underneath Rei's chin, lifting her head until their eyes met. "You shouldn't be ashamed of them or of yourself. Not even one little bit."

"And I need you to know that I think you're every bit as beautiful right now as I did the day I first met you." Minako slowly inched forward.

Rei's breath caught in her throat, her heart pounded hard against her rib cage, she wanted to speak, but she couldn't find a single word. Rei and Minako both leaned in until their faces were impossibly close to one another. Minako took a deep breath and closed her eyes as her lips gently met Rei's for the first time.

Minako's heart raced just as quickly as Rei's, she'd never been more nervous in her entire life. She was completely unsure of how Rei would react, but she was unable to hide her feelings any longer. Rei didn't pull away, she placed one of her hands on Minako's cheek as she opened her mouth slightly, slowly deepening the kiss. As they kissed, Minako's fingers tangled into Rei's hair and she felt Rei's hand delicately caress her cheek. Minako opened her mouth a little more, hoping that the Martian would seize the opportunity to slip her tongue inside, which she quickly did. Minako whimpered softly into the kiss as Rei's tongue connected with her own. Minako's hands promptly left Rei's hair and slid down over the Martian's bare shoulders. Although the kiss remained fairly innocent, both Rei and Minako couldn't help but feel at least some degree of sexual arousal, as an overwhelming and completely unfamiliar desire sparked deep within each of them.

Eventually, when the kiss was broken, Rei and Minako slowly pulled away, staring each other in the eyes, a sea of raging emotions swirling and minds racing as they tried to process what had just transpired.

"I've wanted to say how I felt about you since that first day in the library." Minako said. "But, I didn't know how to tell you. Venusians are supposed to be good at expressing emotions. And I usually am...I don't know why I haven't been able to-" Minako rambled.

"As someone who's never been good at expressing her feelings. I understand completely." Rei said. "It's not always as straightforward and easy as it should be."

"I can't hold this back anymore. I love you, Rei. More than anything." Minako said, confidently. "You feel something for me too, don't you? I can see it deep in your eyes. You're trying so hard to fight it, but every time you look at me, there's this connection between us." Minako took Rei's hands in her own. "Please tell me I'm right. Please tell me you feel it too."

"I do love you, Minako." Rei placed her hand on Minako's cheek. "I've never felt so close to anyone in my whole life. No one's ever genuinely cared for me the way that you do..."

Minako smiled and leaned forward to kiss Rei again. Rei closed her eyes and placed both of her hands on either side of Minako's face as they kissed, but the princess felt extremely confused when Rei abruptly and unexpectedly broke the kiss.

"What's wrong?" Minako asked, looking up into Rei's eyes.

"You're so beautiful and sweet and kind. How could I possibly not fall in love with you? But-"

"I know you've said that you're not looking for a wife, but I'm hoping that I might be able to change your mind. I know for sure that you're the one. I want to marry you. You don't have to leave the Army. You can still become a General. I would never ask you to give that up for me. I just want to be with you."

"It's not about my job. I want to be with you too, but we have one major problem here. You know what the law says. You have to marry another royal. I'm the furthest thing from royalty. Your family could never accept us together."

"They'll have to. I don't care about what the law says." Minako wrapped her arms tightly around Rei's body. "I know in my heart that we're supposed to be together. I can't imagine my life without you now." Minako mumbled into Rei's shoulder.

"Nor can I without you, Princess." Rei returned the embrace and placed a gentle kiss to the side of Minako's head. "We'll have to find a way."

* * *

Later that afternoon Rei and Minako sat peacefully together in the grass, underneath a large tree, watching the waterfall cascade down over the rock formation a few hundred feet away from them. Minako leaned her back against the tree trunk, she held Rei's hand and laid her head on the Martian's shoulder.

"This is nice." Minako said. "I feel so relieved now that you finally know how I feel."

"So do I." Rei agreed. "I didn't think I'd ever fall in love or even that I wanted to at all. But, being with you feels right. For the first time in my life, I feel like I finally belong somewhere."

"I'm so glad you feel that way. You absolutely belong here." Minako placed her index and middle fingers on Rei's neck, just below her jaw and turned the Martian's head, capturing her lips with her own.

"So...what exactly should we do here?" Rei said when the kiss was broken.

"What do you mean?"

"Well...do I go to your parents and ask-"

"That's sweet. But, no. Not yet." Minako said. "If I'm going to persuade them to change the law, I'll need some time to think about what to say and to guide them in the right direction. My mother is relatively liberal and open to change, but daddy, not so much. He's a stickler for tradition. They sometimes butt heads over politics. They've never amended a law before, I'm not sure he'll be too crazy about the idea."

"You think he'll be angry?"

"I really don't know. It's possible. But, he's former military so maybe he'll end up having a soft spot for a gorgeous and sweet Army Lieutenant? I hope so anyway."

"Well, I'll do whatever it takes to earn his approval." Rei lifted Minako's hand and gently kissed it.

"Thank you." Minako smiled. "For right now, I think it would be best to keep our relationship a secret. Even if my parents would turn out to be fine with this, they probably wouldn't let us be alone together until the wedding and I don't want that."

"Me either." Rei shook her head. "But, what about all of the suitors you're supposed to be meeting with?"

"I'll still have to meet with them so no one will suspect anything. But, I'll dismiss them as soon as I possibly can. Just like I have been. Don't worry."

"Okay." Rei nodded. "So...where's your father from originally?"

"The Black Eye Galaxy."

"Really? There's a couple of planets there that turn out almost as many warriors per capita as Mars does."

"Mhm." Minako nodded. "Daddy was an Admiral in the Navy of his home planet. I remember him being away a lot when I was a child. Eventually, he decided to take an early retirement after he was injured in the line of duty. I know my mother was relieved, she worried about him a lot."

"It's understandable. Unfortunately though, becoming injured is a risk we've all had to accept before we even begun our careers. It's just one of those things...you're well aware of the obvious risk, but you still never think it'll happen to you. Then when it does, it messes you up a little bit."

Minako placed her hand over Rei's abdomen, gently running her fingertips over the scars that were once again concealed by the t shirt that Rei had since put back on after it had dried.

"You must have been so scared." Minako said.

"I was certain that I was going to die. I didn't think it really mattered much though. It's not like I had anyone to go home to. But, I'm so glad I was given a second chance."

"So am I." Minako nestled her face against Rei's neck and gently kissed the junction between the Martian's neck and shoulder.

"Minako?"

"Hm?"

"Not that I want to, but we really should be heading back to the palace. We've been gone a while. You're supposed to have a meeting shortly."

"Okay. But, we need to get you to the infirmary to have your arm looked at as soon as we get back."

"I'm not worried about that. It doesn't even hurt."

"You still need to go so that they can treat you properly. I'm not taking no for an answer."

* * *

Once they arrived back at the palace, Minako showed Rei to the infirmary.

"Princess. Lieutenant. Is everything all right?" A female Mercurian doctor asked.

"Yes. But, please take a look at Lieutenant Hino's arm here." Minako said, carefully untying the handkerchief from Rei's bicep. "We had a slight mishap while we were out horseback riding."

The doctor placed her hand on Rei's shoulder and carefully examined the wound.

"You could use a few stitches." The doctor said. "Come this way."

Rei and Minako followed the doctor into an empty exam room.

"Go ahead and have a seat up on the table. I need to finish with another patient, then I'll be back in just a few minutes to take care of that for you."

"Thank you." Rei nodded.

"I'll call one of the other guardians to escort you to your meeting." Rei pulled her communicator out of her pocket. "He's supposed to be here in about twenty minutes."

A few minutes later a nurse entered the room.

"Princess. Two of the guardians are here to accompany you to meet your next suitor." The nurse said.

Minako nodded. "Please let them know that I'll be right out."

"Of course, Princess."

"Are you going to be all right here by yourself?" Minako asked, taking Rei's hand.

"I'll be fine. No big deal. It probably won't take the doctor more than a few minutes to stitch me up."

Minako leaned forward and placed a kiss to Rei's lips.

"When can I see you again, Minako?" Rei gently took a lock of the blonde's hair between her fingertips, lightly stroking it.

"Tonight." Minako smiled. "Meet me outside at my balcony. At midnight. Almost everyone will probably have gone to bed by then."

"I'll be there."

Minako kissed Rei one more time and hesitantly let go of her hand. "I'll see you tonight."

* * *

Later that night.

Rei snuck outside and around the castle to Minako's balcony. When she looked up, she saw Minako standing, waiting for her.

"Is it okay if I climb up?" Rei asked.

"Are you sure you're okay to?" Minako whispered. "I can climb down."

"No, no. I'm fine. I'll be right up." Rei grabbed onto the sturdy iron trellis against the wall and carefully began climbing up toward the balcony.

When Rei reached the balcony, she plucked an orange rose from near the top of the trellis and jumped over the railing onto the balcony.

"Here." Rei handed the rose to Minako.

"Thank you." Minako smiled brightly. She placed her hand behind Rei's head and kissed her. "You're sweet."

"How are your stitches?" Minako gently placed her hand over Rei's bicep, where she had been injured earlier that day.

"Fine. It doesn't hurt much."

"Good. I really am sorry about earlier. I just wanted to have fun, I never meant for you to get hurt."

"Of course you didn't. Don't worry about it."

"Are you sore? You landed pretty hard."

"My neck and back are a little sore, but I'm okay. Not the worst pain I've ever had." Rei shrugged.

"I'm just so glad to see you." Minako hugged Rei.

"I'm glad to see you too." Rei happily returned the embrace.

"Come on. It's clear enough that we can at least see a few stars." Minako took Rei's hand and led her over to a metal sofa on the balcony.

Minako sat down on the sofa. "You can lie down." She patted her lap.

Rei laid her head in Minako's lap and rested her boots over the arm of the sofa as she stared up at the sky.

"If you look right over there, you can see Mars." Rei said, pointing to her right.

"I can't wait for you to take me there some day." Minako said, gently running her fingers through Rei's long, black hair. "You promise you will?"

"Absolutely. I would love to." Rei tipped her head back and looked up at Minako.

Minako leaned down and pressed her lips to Rei's.

"Do you have any idea how happy I am?" Minako asked. "I never thought we'd ever get to be together like this. You know, that morning we made breakfast together, I really thought you wanted to kiss me and I hoped you would. I know we got interrupted and everything, but after that day, you never tried to make a move at all. I was confused. I thought I overestimated your feelings for me."

"I did want to kiss you that morning, Minako. I just couldn't find the courage to do it. I considered telling you how I felt so many times after that, but I thought it would be pointless. I didn't believe you could ever possibly feel the same way about me."

"I flirted with you constantly." Minako laughed. "You really didn't think I had any feelings for you? I couldn't stop thinking about you since we met."

"I thought you were probably just playing around. Venusians are known for being flirts. I didn't think anything would ever come of it. But, when I realized that I was actually falling in love with you, I guess it scared me. I shut down and refused to let myself act on it."

"It's amazing to me that someone so brave could be afraid of something like falling in love. I didn't think you were afraid of anything." Minako said, gently tracing random shapes over Rei's chest with her index and middle fingers.

"Neither did I."

As they stared up at the sky, Artemis walked out onto the balcony and over to Minako and Rei. He meowed loudly and jumped up on to Rei's abdomen where he laid down, making himself comfortable.

"Hey buddy." Rei chuckled and patted the cat on the head.

"Can we do this every night?" Minako asked.

"You bet." Rei smiled.

It was almost an hour later that Rei and Minako heard a voice coming from inside of Minako's bedroom.

"Princess?"

Rei and Minako jumped up from the sofa, recognizing the voice to be that of the princess' nursemaid.

"I better get out of here before we get caught." Rei took Minako's hand in her own.

Minako nodded as Rei leaned in and placed her lips to the blonde's. "I love you. Goodnight, Minako." Rei whispered.

As Minako's nursemaid walked toward the balcony, she could make out the silhouette of two people sharing a kiss through the thin curtains draped in front of the large glass double doors, leading to the balcony.

"I love you too." Minako smiled, hesitantly releasing Rei's hand. "Goodnight."

"Be careful." Minako whispered as Rei climbed up over the railing of the balcony and grabbed onto the trellis, slowly and carefully climbing downward.

"Princess." Minako's nursemaid opened the large glass doors and stepped out onto the balcony.

"I thought you would have gone to bed by now." Minako began moving to the opposite side of the balcony, hoping to draw her nursemaid's attention away from the trellis that Rei was still climbing down as silently as she possibly could.

"I was on my way, but I thought I heard you talking to someone when I passed by your bedroom."

"Just Artemis." Minako shrugged and bent down to pick up the cat.

"All right. But, it's late. You should really be getting ready for bed, honey."

"You're right." Minako nodded and walked back into her bedroom and into her closet to change her clothes.

Minako's nursemaid glanced over the railing of the balcony where she noticed a figure, whom she immediately recognized to be Rei, quietly walking through the grass, just before she disappeared around the side of the castle.

"Oh Minako." She whispered, shaking her head. "What am I going to do with you?" She smiled to herself.

The woman then noticed sitting on the end table next to the sofa was a single orange rose and a book about Mars. She picked up both the book and the rose and took them inside where she set them down on the nightstand, next to Minako's bed.


	5. Chapter 5

Over the next two weeks, Rei and Minako had faithfully met in secret each night. Although Minako could certainly be seen with Rei without anyone suspecting that anything was amiss, it had become increasingly more difficult during the day for the princess and lieutenant to keep their feelings for one another hidden and they both greatly treasured the nights that they had been able to spend alone together.

It was late one evening that Rei and Minako had been out on Minako's balcony, as they typically tended to be. Rei sat perched up on the railing watching Minako give a mock speech of how to convince her parents to amend the law to allow them to marry.

"Do you think I'm convincing enough?" Minako asked. "Would you change the law?"

"Without a doubt." Rei smiled. "I'd let you change any law you wanted to."

Rei jumped down off of the railing and walked over to Minako. She placed her hands around Minako's waist and kissed her.

"You're too easy." Minako chuckled, draping her arms over the Martian's shoulders.

"Only for you." Rei gently began kissing Minako's neck, causing a small moan to escape the blonde's lips.

"Rei..." Minako closed her eyes and sighed in pleasure, she laced her fingers into Rei's hair as she felt the Martian's lips slowly graze over her throat.

As Rei continued to kiss Minako's neck, the blonde's eyes slowly opened when she heard what sounded like giggling coming from somewhere beneath her balcony.

"Do you hear that?" Minako asked.

"Yeah." Rei pulled away, narrowing her eyes as she walked over to the edge of the balcony with Minako.

Rei and Minako peered over the railing where they saw both Ami and Makoto walking through the grass, holding hands.

"What the-" Rei said when she watched Makoto lean Ami against the wall and initiate a heated, passionate kiss.

"I told you they were into each other." Minako laughed. "They're cute together."

"I wonder why they didn't mention-" Rei placed her hands on the balcony railing and looked downward at her friends.

"Don't overthink it, Rei...but, I think they saw us." Minako waved down to Ami and Makoto, who were now looking straight up at them.

"Rei?" Makoto said, squinting up at the balcony through the darkness. "Is that you?"

"Yeah. It's me." Rei said.

Rei turned to Minako. "I know they're going to be suspicious. They're probably going to wonder what we're doing together so late."

"We might as well tell them the truth." Minako placed her hand on top of Rei's. "You trust them, don't you?"

"Of course." Rei nodded.

"Is everything all right?" Ami called out.

"Fine." Minako said. "Could you both come up here, please?"

When Ami and Makoto reached the railing, they stepped over onto the balcony.

"Why didn't you guys tell me you were...involved." Rei asked, her gaze shifting from Makoto to Ami.

A deep red blush quickly crossed over Ami's face as she looked over at the tall Jovian.

"Well...we just-" Makoto began. "It's been a long time and seeing each other again brought back a lot of old feelings-"

"It's also the aura of this planet." Minako said. "Romance is always in the air. Lots of people fall in love here. Isn't that right, Lieutenant?" Minako placed her hand on Rei's chest and kissed her.

"Yes." Rei nodded, slipping her arm around Minako's waist. "It seems to be true."

"Woah. Woah. Woah. Back up for a minute." Makoto said, her eyes growing wide. "You mean you're saying you two are-"

"Rei and I have fallen in love with each other." Minako said. "And she's the one I've chosen to marry."

"I fully support you." Ami said. "But, what about your parents? I thought you were only allowed to marry another royal."

"I'm going to try to convince my parents to amend the law..."

"But for right now, we need you keep this quiet." Rei said. "Please don't tell anyone. Not even the rest of the guardians. Not yet."

"We won't tell. We promise." Makoto said.

"You can trust us." Ami added.

* * *

Later that night.

Rei was in her room, when she heard a knock at the door.

"Come in." Rei called out.

"Finally. You're back." Makoto said as she and Ami quickly entered the room.

"What's wrong?" Rei asked.

"Nothing's wrong." Makoto said, closing the door behind her. "But, you didn't expect that you'd tell us you and the princess have been secretly seeing each other and we wouldn't talk about it, did you?"

"Maybe we should talk about the two of you-" Rei said.

"Who cares about us." Makoto said. "You're marrying the Princess of Venus. This is huge."

"She's incredible, Mako." Rei smiled. "She's beautiful and smart. She's fun, she's kind...she's absolutely perfect. I never thought I'd ever meet a woman like her. Much less one who would be interested in me."

"I've never seen you like this before, Rei." Ami said. "How did this relationship even happen?" She asked, curiously. "Tell us everything."

"There's not really much to tell, to be honest. We've spent a lot of time together since we got here. I can't explain it, I've just felt really drawn to her, you know? I tried to hide it, but she saw right through me. One afternoon we went horseback riding together, we finally kissed and that was that."

"It makes sense now." Makoto said. "Since we got here, the princess was always asking questions about you and usually requesting you as an escort. I should have realized that she had feelings for you. It's so obvious now."

"I just hope her parents can make an exception for me. I'm not perfect and I'm about the furthest thing from royalty, but I love her so much. I would do anything for her."

* * *

A few days later.

It was late in the afternoon and Minako had been sitting out on her balcony watching as Rei and a group of several soldiers practiced sword fighting skills in the grass across from her balcony. Minako held the chunk of Olympus Mons that Rei had given her in her hand. She ran her fingers over the rock as she watched Rei. The princess almost couldn't believe how gracefully Rei moved with her sword in hand. It was as if she already knew all of her opponents' moves before they knew themselves. Minako watched Rei use her sword to flip her opponent's sword from his hand and catch it by the handle in her own hand as the soldier stumbled backward and landed on the ground. Rei slipped her own sword back into its scabbard and extended her hand down to the soldier whom she had just defeated to help him to his feet. Once he was standing again, Rei handed him back his sword and patted him on the back. Rei looked up toward Minako's balcony, where she caught the blonde's eye. Rei smiled and waved to Minako, who happily waved back. The princess turned around when she heard the sound of footsteps behind her and noticed her nursemaid walking out onto the balcony, carrying a tray in her hands.

"I thought you might like a snack." The woman said. "I brought some freshly baked cookies."

"That sounds great. Thank you." Minako happily took one of the cookies.

"What do you have there?" Minako's nursemaid asked, noticing the piece of red rock in the blonde's other hand. "I've seen it sitting on your nightstand."

"This is a real sample of the Martian volcano, Olympus Mons. It was a gift."

"I can only assume one from the lieutenant?"

"Yes." Minako nodded. "The first day I met her, I told her how much I loved Olympus Mons and she had this sent over from Mars for me."

"That was sweet of her." Minako's nursemaid stared out across the grass at Rei.

"It was." Minako agreed. "Whoever would have thought that the fiercest warrior would also be the one with the kindest, gentlest heart?"

"It's indeed surprising, but that's why you've fallen so much in love with her, isn't it?" Minako's nursemaid smiled.

"Wha...what?"

"Honey. You don't have to pretend with me anymore. I know you and the lieutenant have been sneaking around together for weeks now."

"I...how could you-"

"I saw her leaving from your balcony late one night and I saw her kiss you. But, all of that aside, I've seen the way you look at her. Your feelings are quite obvious. You haven't looked at a single one of your suitors the way you look at her. I can't believe that I didn't realize it sooner. You were falling for her right in front of my eyes. I can't remember the last time I saw you this happy."

"She's just everything I've ever wanted. She's strong, brave and passionate, but also soft and sweet. And I always feel safe with her."

"Who wouldn't feel safe in the arms of Mars' most celebrated young warrior? There's always been an undeniable attraction between Mars and Venus. Maybe this is a sign from the universe?"

"I know it is. Rei's the one I'm destined to be with and she needs me every bit as much as I need her. She really hasn't had the easiest life, I think she just needed someone to truly and honestly love her and I'm supposed to be that person. There's so much more to her than that tough, stoic façade that she chooses to show everyone."

"I can't think of anyone more fit than you are to break through that shell and open her heart. You know, I've watched you grow up all of these years and I couldn't be prouder of the young woman that you've become."

"Thank you." Minako wrapped her arms around her nursemaid and hugged her tight.

"I'm so glad to finally see you happy with someone. But, you realize you're going to have to tell your parents sooner rather than later."

"I know. I'm still trying to figure out how. I want to marry Rei and if they refuse to let me, I don't know what I'll do. I should be allowed to marry the person I love. It shouldn't matter if they're royalty or not."

"You'll find a way to convince them. I know you will."

"I hope so."

* * *

A few days later.

The king and the queen sat on their thrones together, reviewing dozens of biographies and photos of many different prospective spouses for their daughter.

"She still has more than a month until her birthday." The queen said. "Do you think we're really doing the right thing by choosing someone for her right now?"

"I don't see us as having much choice anymore. We're quickly running out of time." The king said. "Minako has been even less cooperative lately than she has been the past two years since she began looking for a mate. I don't think she's even trying. We have to take matters into our hands. There are still wedding preparations that need to be made."

The queen sighed. "Maybe we should try to talk with Minako one more time-"

"You know she'll only continue to resist. She's too headstrong. Minako needs to learn some discipline and respect for the traditions of this kingdom." The king said. "She's not taking any of this seriously. Here. I think this one would be a good match for her." The king handed a photo and biography to the queen.

"We should sleep on it tonight. We've been going through suitors all day. This is important and I don't want to make this decision until we're both rested and can make a well-thought out, conscious choice for our daughter."

* * *

Minako's nursemaid quickly made her way up to the princess' room and knocked on the door.

"Come in." Minako called out.

"Princess. I just overheard your parents talking in the throne room. They're planning to choose a suitor for you. If you have any hope of staying together with the lieutenant, you're going to have to tell your parents as soon as possible."

"But, they haven't said anything-"

"I don't think they believe you're going to choose someone, so they're going to make a choice for you. If they offer your hand to someone, once the proposal is accepted, you'll be forced to go through with the marriage."

"I'll talk to Rei tonight. And I'll tell my parents first thing in the morning." Minako said nervously.

* * *

Once things had settled down for the night in the castle, Rei left her room and walked down the hall, she quietly made her way down to the first floor of the castle. Rei peered down the hallway, there wasn't a single soul out and about. The only sounds were the echo of Rei's boots clicking on the hard marble floor. Rei continued her way down the hall, but froze when she heard a familiar voice speak her name.

"Rei?"

Rei recognized the voice to be Setsuna's and when she turned around, she found Haruka, Michiru, Setsuna and Hotaru standing behind her.

"Uh. Hi. What are you guys doing up to so late?" Rei asked.

"We were all just going for a drink." Haruka said. "You know they've got a great bar room just down the hall here."

"Why don't you join us?" Hotaru said. "Mako and Ami are escorting the princess to her first scheduled meeting tomorrow morning, so you could afford to stay up a bit later than usual."

"Oh I'd like to. But, I can't right now-I um-"

"You wouldn't happen to be headed off on a little romantic tryst, now would you?" Michiru teased.

"Wha-what?" Rei instantly panicked. How could Michiru possibly have known? She and Minako had been very careful about refraining from showing any romantic affection toward one another. And Rei trusted that neither Ami or Makoto would have said anything.

"Rumor has it that the princess' stylist has been after you." Michiru said.

Rei breathed a small sigh of relief.

"Yeah. So...did you do it with her? Or are you going to?" Hotaru asked.

"Hotaru." Setsuna narrowed her eyebrows at the tiny Saturnian, utilizing a scolding tone of voice.

"What? Like all of you weren't wondering the same thing."

"The answer is no. I haven't done anything with her and I'm not going to." Rei said. "I was just going out for a walk. I need some air. That's all. I'll see you guys later?"

Rei quietly slipped outside, evading the attention of the guards in the court yard. She made her way around the castle until she reached Minako's balcony. Rei looked up, where she saw Minako in a thin, white knee-length night gown, leaning on the balcony railing. Minako's long blonde hair gently fluttered behind her in the cool, light breeze of the evening.

"What are you waiting for?" Minako whispered. "Come up here."

Rei quickly climbed up the trellis, just as she had every night since she and Minako had begun their relationship. When she reached the top, Rei jumped over the railing and onto the balcony.

"You look so beautiful tonight." Rei reached out and took Minako's hands as she leaned forward and kissed her.

Minako only smiled weakly.

"What took you so long? I was worried you might not be coming." Minako said.

"Of course not. I ran into some of the other guardians on the way. I just got held up."

"I have something that I need to tell you."

"What is it?" Rei asked, tucking a lock of Minako's hair behind her ear.

"Rei, my nursemaid told me that she overheard my parents talking and she said they're preparing to arrange a marriage for me-"

"But, there's still time until your birthday."

"I know, but she said they don't trust that I'm going to choose someone by then. Once the arrangements are made and they've officially promised me to someone, it can't be undone. There'd be nothing we could do. So...I'm going to tell them about us, tomorrow morning."

"Then I'll be right there beside you." Rei said confidently. "We'll talk to them together."

"I was hoping you'd say that." Minako hugged Rei tightly.

"Of course. I'll never leave your side, Minako." Rei pulled back and placed a chaste kiss to the blonde's lips. "In case you haven't heard, Martians tend to be very loyal." Rei smiled, trying to lighten the mood.

Minako smiled too. "Come with me." Minako took Rei by the hand and led her toward the large set of glass doors, leading into her bedroom.

Minako slowly opened the doors and Rei noticed that the lights were all turned out and there were at least a dozen candles scattered about the room, flickering and bathing the large room in a soft, romantic glow.

"Wh-what's this?" Rei asked.

Minako led Rei over to the bed where they both sat down.

"I don't know how my parents are going to react tomorrow. But, in case it doesn't go over as well as I'm hoping for and things get tough for us, I want us to be able to have at least one perfect night together..."

Minako placed her hand on Rei's thigh and kissed her.

"You mean...are you saying you want to-" Rei broke the kiss and stared Minako in the eyes.

"Yes." Minako nodded and slowly began undoing the first few buttons on Rei's shirt. "I want us to make love."

"I-" Rei's breath caught in her throat.

When she reached the last button, Minako then took Rei's hand and guided it upward, over top of the thin material of her night gown and to her breast, where she encouraged Rei's hand to linger. Rei's breath caught in her throat and her heart began to thump violently against her chest as she felt Minako's nipple stiffen against her palm through the thin material of the blonde's night gown.

"Minako...are...are you absolutely sure about this?" Rei asked, moving her hand to Minako's cheek. "If we do...we can't go back-"

"I'm positive. Don't you want this too? Haven't you at least thought about it?" Minako asked, tucking a lock of Rei's hair behind her ear.

"Well, yes...what about you...have you...thought about..."

"I'm a Venusian. Of course I have. A lot." Minako chuckled and gently kissed Rei again. "I want this...I want you."

Rei smiled nervously as Minako's hands slowly slid up her chest. Minako could feel Rei's heartbeat throbbing beneath her fingertips.

"Are you all right?" Minako asked, her hands eventually coming to rest over the Martian's shoulders. "You seem uneasy."

"Honestly, I'm a little nervous. I haven't been intimate with anyone since before my accident. It's been a long time..."

"That's good though. Maybe then my complete lack of experience won't be quite so obvious."

Minako lifted Rei's shirt off of her shoulders and let it slowly slide down the Martian's arms. Rei slipped out of the shirt and laced her fingers into Minako's hair, kissing her passionately. Rei shifted slightly on the bed when she felt Minako's hands slide down over her t shirt and grasp her belt buckle. As they kissed, Rei gently laid Minako down on the bed and straddled her waist. Once Minako had managed to undo Rei's belt buckle, she untucked her t shirt and her hands slowly moved around to the small of Rei's back, sliding upward underneath her t shirt to the Martian's shoulders. Minako sunk down into the pillow beneath her head and she let out a small, quiet moan when she felt Rei begin kissing her neck and the bare part of her chest that wasn't currently covered by her night gown.

Rei pulled back for a moment, she didn't move nor did she speak. She only stared down into Minako's eyes as the flickering light of the candles illuminated the blonde's face.

"Is something wrong?" Minako removed her hands from underneath Rei's shirt and placed her fingertips on the Martian's cheek.

"Nothing at all. You're just so incredibly beautiful." Rei said.

Minako smiled, her desire-clouded eyes locked on the Martian's. Minako grasped the bottom of Rei's t shirt and slowly began to pull it upward.

"Maybe it would be better if I leave this on..." Rei said, self-consciously, as she stopped Minako's hand.

"No. I want to see all of you...I want to feel just you."

Rei smiled and Minako watched intently as Rei leaned back and pulled her t shirt up over her head before discarding it to the floor. Minako instantly reached up and placed her hands on Rei's abdomen, her fingertips exploring all over the area. The look of desire and purely honest love in Minako's eyes gave Rei the boost of self-esteem that she desperately needed. For the first time in years, she felt sexy, desirable and most importantly, confident enough to take her clothes off in front of another person.

"I love you so much, Minako." Rei spoke softly, placing her hands on either side of the blonde's body as she hovered above her, their lips now only mere inches apart.

"I love you too, Rei." Minako smiled brightly, moved her hand behind the Martian's head and pulled Rei down on top of her, their lips and tongues meeting in a searing, intense and passion-filled kiss.

* * *

That night Ami had been working late in the palace's laboratory with several of the Mercurian genetic scientist interns that she had been leading in conducting their research projects.

"Doctor Mizuno?" A young female intern said.

"Yes?"

"I think you should look at this."

Ami walked over to the intern's work area where she had a computer, a microscope and several family tree charts spread out on a desk.

"What is it?" Ami asked.

"I've been analyzing Lieutenant Hino's family tree and DNA samples. At first I thought maybe the data was somehow corrupted, but I keep running her samples against the universal database and it keeps coming back exactly the same-"

Ami pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose and stared at the computer screen. "According to our database Rei shares DNA with that of the Martian royal family. How could that possibly be?"

"That's why I'm confused. I thought the Martian royal family all died out with the catastrophic eruption of Olympus Mons."

"We were under that assumption. There were no known survivors. Let me see here."

The intern stood up from her chair so that Ami could sit in front of the computer. Ami analyzed the genetic database of the members of Rei's family tree.

"I've been studying Lieutenant Hino's family tree for the past few days now." The intern said. "I kept thinking maybe I had something wrong. But, I've checked my work over and over. And I've looked for bugs in the database program as well. I've checked everything. I don't think it's incorrect."

"I don't think so either." Ami said. "This is incredible. You see here. These members of the royal family were all assumed to have perished in the eruption. But, over here. This woman would be Rei's maternal great, great grandmother. She would have been just a small child at the time of the eruption, not more than a few years old. And her DNA also matches the genes of the royal family, but she doesn't share any genetic data at all with her listed parents-"

"She was adopted." The intern said.

"That's what we would typically assume. Yes." Ami nodded.

"Do you think it's actually possible that she somehow survived the eruption and was taken in and raised by this couple?"

"I think it's possible. It looks like they didn't live far from the location of the palace." Ami said. "She wouldn't have been old enough to talk coherently much less remember any of what happened. They possibly didn't even realize she was a royal baby. Maybe where ever they found her, they just thought she was abandoned?"

"So, if she was the lieutenant's great, great grandmother on her mother's side, then these were her great grandparents." The intern pointed to the screen. "Her grandparents, and her parents. The royal blood comes from her mother's side and the people on that side didn't have many children throughout each generation. It looks like they've all since passed away. Either of natural causes or from being killed in military combat."

"Rei didn't have any siblings either." Ami said. "Her mother passed away about twelve years ago."

"So according to this…she's-"

"That makes Rei the last living descendant of the Martian royal family." Ami said, stunned.

"Lieutenant Hino is the end of a royal bloodline we thought was long extinct. This is amazing..."

"This is a huge discovery. She'll never believe it." Ami said.

* * *

It was very early the next morning when Rei was awakened, as she was every morning by her phenomenally consistent internal clock. Rei opened her eyes and yawned silently, she was lying on her back, underneath the thick, warm comforter of Minako's bed. Rei's arm was around Minako and Minako's head rested on Rei's chest, their legs intertwined and Minako's arms wound themselves tightly around the Martian's body, refusing to let go, as they had been almost the entire night. Rei placed a gentle kiss to Minako's forehead and it was only a moment later that the blonde's eyes slowly cracked open as she began to stir.

"Good Morning." Minako smiled.

"Morning. I'm sorry for waking you up." Rei said. "I didn't mean to."

"It's okay." Minako happily pressed her lips to the Martian's. "I don't mind."

"Are you all right with everything that happened last night?" Rei asked, brushing a lock of hair away from Minako's forehead. "You're not regretting-"

"Of course not. I don't regret anything about last night." Minako said.

"Good." Rei smiled, breathing a small sigh of relief.

"How could I possibly regret it? You were so passionate, gentle, sweet and patient with me." Minako placed a light kiss to Rei's bare chest, just below her collar bone. A slightly salty flavor of dried sweat left behind on Rei's skin, lingered on Minako's lips.

"Was it what you expected?" Rei asked, her fingers slowly stroking Minako's arm.

"It was perfect. Just like I knew it would be."

Minako pressed her lips to the Martian's and wrapped her arms even tighter around Rei, holding her closely.

"I don't think you let go of me once all night." Rei smiled.

"And I never want to either. I wish we could stay like this forever."

"So do I. I don't think Artemis is too thrilled, though. I stole his favorite spot." Rei laughed, glancing down at the cat who was now climbing up over she and Minako's intertwined bodies before eventually settling down on top of the blanket over Rei's abdomen.

"He'll have to get over it." Minako chuckled.

Rei then felt one of Minako's hands snake downward over her body, stopping just above where Artemis was lying. Minako began stroking Rei's bare stomach with her fingertips, slowly tracing over her scars. Rei replayed the previous night in her mind, she thought about how Minako so delicately touched and kissed nearly every part of her scarred body without any hesitation at all.

"Minako?"

"Yes, love?"

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"I told you last night that physical intimacy has been pretty much non-existent for me these past few years." Rei said, staring up at the ceiling. "I just wanted to thank you for not making me feel self-conscious. Ever since my accident, it's been really difficult for me to feel even the tiniest bit attractive without clothes on. I've felt insecure about my body for so long now, that I never thought I'd be able to get past it."

"Rei." Minako tucked a lock of hair behind the Martian's ear and kissed her. "You never have to feel insecure. You're beautiful inside and out."

"Thanks." Rei smiled. "I've never been able to let my guard down the way I have with you...it feels strange to me, but nice."

"I'm so glad that you're comfortable enough to open up to me. I know it's hard for you. As a warrior, you've spent most of your life being trained to never express vulnerability. But, I want you to know that it's okay to feel vulnerable sometimes. It doesn't make you weak and it certainly doesn't make you any less of a soldier."

Minako placed her hand on Rei's face and pressed her lips to the Martian's again.

Minako then laid her head down on Rei's chest and spent the next several minutes listening to the comforting sound of the Martian's heartbeat. Rei placed her hand on Minako's bare back, underneath her hair and gently rubbed her open palm up and down the blonde's back as Minako began to drift back to sleep.

"You know, we're going to have to get up pretty soon." Rei said.

"I'm trying to not think about it." Minako said. "I know we're running out of time. And I'm a little scared. I'm trying to be brave, but what'll happen to us if my parents don't accept our relationship? I can't bear the thought of losing you."

"You won't." Rei said, reassuringly.

"Do you promise?"

"I promise. Do you remember when we were talking on the balcony at the party your parents threw...we were talking about Mars and Venus and their relationship. You said to me 'wouldn't you do anything if it meant getting to be with your true love?'"

"I remember." Minako nodded. "You were a total cynic, doubting that you'd ever find love at all."

"Well, now that I have, the answer is yes, Minako. You're my true love and I'll do whatever it takes to be with you. No matter what happens."

"That's all I needed to hear."

* * *

As Rei walked down the hall to the throne room with Minako at her side, they noticed Ami quickly running toward them, carrying a huge stack of papers in her arms.

"Rei. I've been looking all over for you. I need to talk to you." Ami said.

"Could it possibly wait, Ami?" Rei asked respectfully. "Minako and I are on our way to talk to the king and queen. We have to tell them about our relationship. And we have to do it now."

"Then you'll definitely want to hear what I have to tell you before you do. It's extremely important."

"All right then." Rei said, concerned. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Ami took a few minutes to explain to Rei what her intern had discovered about her family tree the night before.

"What? Me?" Rei's eyebrows knitted together in a confused expression. "But, I...how could...I..." Rei stuttered. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure." Ami nodded. "I stayed up all night with several interns researching, re-running and verifying all of the data. It's true. You're great, great grandmother somehow managed to survive the eruption of Olympus Mons and eventually continue the bloodline. But, your mother's side of the family was so small and now you're the only one left. You're the last living link to the Martian royal bloodline."

"I...I don't even know what to say." Rei stood completely shocked, her mouth agape.

"Rei. This is fantastic news." Minako was nearly in tears as she placed her hands on either side of the Martian's face. "Now, there's no way my parents can refuse to let us get married." Minako leaned in and happily pressed her lips to the Martian's.

Without breaking the kiss, Rei wrapped her arms around Minako and hugged her tightly, lifting her up off of her feet. When the kiss was broken, Rei set Minako back down.

"Let's go talk to your parents." Rei took Minako's hands in her own and pressed her forehead to the blonde's.

Minako nodded and smiled brightly as a few happy tears began to trickle down her cheeks.

"Ami. Would you please come with us and show them all of your research?" Minako asked, looking over at the Mercurian.

"Of course. I'd be happy to."

When they reached the throne room, both the king and queen were seated in their intricately carved metal thrones, talking amongst themselves.

"Minako-" The queen said upon noticing her daughter enter the room.

"I have something that I need to talk to you about. I'm not going meet with any more suitors." Minako said, calmly. "And you don't need to choose someone-"

"We've already been over this before-" The king said, trying his best to suppress his temper. "You will get married-"

"I know." Minako nodded. "I mean I'm not going to meet with any more suitors, because I've finally chosen one." She said, excitedly.

"Honey, that's wonderful." The queen smiled, incredibly relieved. "Who have you chosen?"

Minako reached down and laced her fingers with Rei's. "I've chosen to marry Lieutenant Rei Hino of Mars."

The king and queen looked at each other, both obviously surprised by the news.

"Minako-" the king said.

"Daddy. I need you to look at what Doctor Mizuno has to show you. It's important."

Ami stepped forward and presented all of the research conducted by she and the interns to the king and queen.

"This is remarkable." The queen said. "Martian royalty does still exist after all. I can't believe it."

"Venusian law states that you must marry a person of royal descent." The king said. "And according to this research, Lieutenant Hino does indeed appear to be royalty."

"I realize that I'm probably not what you were expecting." Rei said, taking a few steps toward the king and queen. "And maybe not exactly what you were hoping for for Minako-"

"There's really no need for explanation, Lieutenant." The queen said. "You certainly are more than worthy."  
"Thank you, Your Highness." Rei bowed her head to the queen.

"We will officially announce your marriage plans immediately." The king said.

"I think Serenity will be quite pleased with all of this news." The queen said. "She's always spoken very highly of you, Lieutenant."


	6. Chapter 6

It was just over a month later and the entire Venusian Kingdom was busy hustling and bustling about the palace making the necessary last minute wedding preparations, as less than a full week now remained until the wedding. Minako was on her way to meet with the castle's head seamstress and her assistant for her final dress fitting, when she crossed paths with her mother, who was getting ready to leave the palace.

"Minako. I wanted to let you know that I'm going to be meeting with Queen Serenity, so I'll be away for a few days." The queen said.

"Oh. Okay." Minako nodded. "What are you meeting with Queen Serenity about? Is everything all right?"

"Of course. After discovering Lieutenant Hino's ancestry, Serenity thought we should discuss plans to begin rebuilding the Martian Kingdom. And since Lieutenant Hino is about to become a member of our family, your father and I thought we should assume the responsibility of getting things started. Obviously, it'll take generations for the royal family to be repopulated to the extent that it once was. We'll be long gone by then. But, we can at least begin by making plans to rebuild the palace. Serenity has some of the most talented architects in the galaxy working on designing a new palace."

"Is daddy going with you?"

"No. He's going to stay here. I won't be gone long. I'll be back in plenty of time for the wedding."

"Have a safe trip."

"Thank you, honey."

When Minako found the seamstress and her assistant, she noticed that Rei was already in the room with both of them.

"I have something here for you, Lieutenant." The seamstress said, carrying a black garment bag in her hands.

The seamstress unzipped the bag and Rei saw her military dress uniform which consisted of a black jacket and slacks, a crisp white button down shirt, blood-red neck tie and a black beret.

"My dress uniform." Rei said. "I don't think I've worn it since I was promoted to Lieutenant."

"As I'm sure you already know, it's tradition for Martian military personnel to be married in uniform." The seamstress' assistant said. "We also have all of your medals, which we'll pin to your jacket once we've pressed it for the wedding."

"And there are a lot of medals." The seamstress added.

"I've been in the military a long time." Rei smiled.

"You're going to look so dashing in that uniform." Minako laced her fingers with Rei's and leaned over to kiss her. "I can't wait to see you in it."

"You two are such a beautiful couple." The seamstress swooned. "I'm so happy for both of you."

"Now, Lieutenant if you'd please take this suit and try it on, just in case we need to make any adjustments." The assistant said.

"You go with the lieutenant and I'll help the princess with her final dress fitting." The seamstress said to her assistant.

"Make sure you stay in the other room, Lieutenant." The seamstress said. "It would be considered bad luck for you to see the princess in her dress before the wedding day."

"Of course." Rei nodded.

Rei followed the seamstress' assistant and Minako waited for the seamstress to retrieve her wedding dress. When the seamstress removed the dress from its box, Minako slipped into it and turned around for the seamstress to zip it up.

"It feels a little tighter than I remember." Minako stared into the mirror, the dress was slightly snug around her breasts.

"We did let it out in the bust already, I thought I remembered it fitting better the last time you tried it on. Maybe it's just the bra you're wearing today-"

"I don't think that's it." Minako interjected. "I think I've gained a little weight since the last fitting."

"Not to worry, sweetheart. We can alter it easily." The seamstress placed her hand on Minako's shoulder. "That's why we have multiple fittings. Women's bodies in particular are prone to changing all the time."

"You're not kidding." Minako sighed.

The seamstress took a few moments to take a quick measurement of Minako's bust and waist. Once they were finished, the seamstress left Minako to change her clothing. Minako picked up the dress she had been wearing prior to her fitting. She was about to put it back on when she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, in nothing more than her underwear. She placed her hand on her bare stomach and stared at her reflection for several minutes until a knock on the door interrupted her thoughts.

"Minako?" Rei's voice called out.

"Just a second." Minako replied.

Once Minako had gotten re-dressed, she left the room and found Rei waiting patiently for her on the other side of the door.

"The metalsmiths have finished our wedding bands. They want us to try them on."

"Great." Minako nodded. "Let's go."

"How did your fitting go?" Rei asked. "I can't wait to see you in your wedding dress. I'm certain you'll look even more gorgeous than I could ever imagine."

"I hope so." Minako smiled weakly.

"What's wrong?" Rei asked. "You seem upset."

"I'm not." Minako shook her head. "I'm all right. Just a little tired today."

"Do you want me to tell the metalsmiths we'll come see them later? I'll walk you to your room. You can get some rest."

"No. It's okay." Minako said. "I want to see our rings."

"Come on." Rei smiled, she held her hand out for Minako to take.

Rei leaned over and placed a kiss to the side of Minako's head as they began walking down the hallway.

* * *

The next morning upon waking up, Minako found herself overwhelmingly nauseous, just as she had over the past several mornings.

Minako quickly got out of bed and ran into her bathroom, where she vomited into the toilet. She sat down on the floor, the cold marble provided her with some relief, though not enough to quell the dizzying feeling in her head or the uncomfortable sloshing feeling in her stomach nor was it enough to keep her from vomiting a second time. When Minako's nursemaid entered the room, she could hear the princess' groans echoing from inside the bathroom.

"Princess?" The woman gently knocked on the bathroom door. "Are you all right?"

"I'll be right out."

Minako brushed her teeth and when she opened the door, her nursemaid noticed that the blonde didn't look well. She appeared tired, sweaty and generally ill.

"You're not feeling well." She placed the back of her hand on Minako's forehead, checking for a fever. "You should get back into bed right away."

Minako's nursemaid helped the princess back to the bed where she sat down.

"You still have that same stomach bug you complained about last week? I'll send a medic up to take a look at you."

"I don't need a medic." Minako said.

"But sweetheart, you're obviously sick. We need to get you some medication so you can start feeling better. Your wedding is in just a few days."

"No, I-I don't think I'm sick." Minako ran her fingers back through her hair. "I'm pretty sure I'm pregnant."

The nursemaid's mouth dropped wide open and she sat down next to the blonde on the bed.

"You mean you and the lieutenant have already-"

Minako nodded. "Just once. But, yes. It was that night you told me my parents were about to choose a suitor for me. I knew I had to tell them about Rei and I...I didn't know how they would react. I just wanted one night with her, I didn't know if we'd get another chance...I wasn't thinking about birth control-"

"I understand, sweetheart." The woman comfortingly stroked the blonde's hair. "Have you talked to the lieutenant about this?"

"I haven't said anything to Rei yet." Minako sighed heavily. "I don't know what to say. Before we met, she didn't know if she ever wanted to get married at all. We haven't even had the chance to get married yet and now I have to tell her I might be pregnant. This is all happening so fast. How am I ever supposed to tell her? What if she ends up being upset?"

"Honey. You have to talk to her. She should know." Minako's nursemaid hugged the blonde. "She loves you."

"You're right." Minako nodded. "She needs to know...could you send her in, please?"

"Of course. I'll go get her right away."

Minako nervously practiced aloud over and over what to say as she waited for Rei. After only a few minutes, Rei knocked on the door to Minako's bedroom.

"Come in." Minako called out.

Rei opened the door and walked over to her soon-to-be-wife.

"Your nursemaid said you needed me?"

"You have no idea." Minako nodded and stood up, she hugged Rei tight.

"Are you all right?" Rei placed her hands on Minako's shoulders. "You look like you're not feeling well. Is there anything I can do to help?"

Minako didn't speak, she only sat down on the bed again and reached her hand out to Rei. The Martian took Minako's hand and sat down next to her.

"I have to tell you something."

"Of course. Anything."

"I need you to stay calm. Promise you won't be angry-"

"It's bad news?" Rei's heart dropped as she stared into Minako's eyes.

"I suppose it all depends on what you consider bad." Minako said, a few tears beginning to well up in the corners of her eyes.

"Minako, sweetheart…whatever it is, you can tell me."

"I don't know how to say this, so I'll try to just come right out with it-" Minako swallowed the lump in her throat.

Rei felt her heart begin thumping hard in her chest as she anxiously waited for Minako to continue speaking.

"Rei. I think..." Minako hesitated and took in a deep breath. "I think I'm pregnant."

Rei immediately froze, she nearly felt her heart stop as Minako watched the color drain from the Martian's face.

"Please don't be upset-" Minako said.

"No-I'm just...I...I can't believe-" Rei exhaled a sharp breath. "You said you think...you're not sure?"

"I haven't taken a test or seen a doctor, but I'm almost positive...I just know. I've been waking up nauseous, I've gained a little weight and my period's late. I've never been late before-"

"Okay, well first things first, I guess we need to find out for certain if you actually are...pregnant." Rei said, struggling to get the last word out, though her demeanor was surprisingly calm. "Let's talk to Ami, maybe she can get us a test from the infirmary. We'll find out for sure and then decide how we should proceed from there."

"I'm so sorry." A few tears began to slip down the blonde's cheeks.

"Why would you ever be sorry about this?" Rei asked. "You don't want a baby?"

"It's not that. I do. It's just that when you came here, you didn't know if you ever wanted to get married. We haven't even gotten married yet. And now we may be having a baby already. It has to be a lot for you to take in all at once-"

"Oh honey. Don't worry about me." Rei said reassuringly. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to my life. When I said all of that, it was long before I ever could have imagined having a life with you and having a child together was even a possibility. But, now that this is all becoming reality, I couldn't be happier."

"Do you really mean that?"

"Of course I do. Every word."

"I'm so relieved to hear you say that." Minako smiled and leaned over to kiss Rei.

"I'll go talk to Ami. Why don't you lay back down and relax?"

* * *

Later that evening.

"Rei, you seem extremely on edge tonight." Setsuna said. "Even more so than usual."

"You hardly ate anything at dinner." Hotaru added.

"Something is obviously bothering you." Michiru said, noticing Rei's distracted expression, which indicated that the Martian's mind was a million miles away.

"Is it the wedding?" Haruka asked. "Are you getting nervous?"

"No. I'm not nervous to marry Minako. Not at all." Rei said, looking at her watch.

"You keep staring at your watch." Setsuna remarked. "Are you waiting for something?"

"Yeah. I'm waiting for Ami. She's supposed to be bringing me something for Minako."

"Finally." Rei said as Ami entered the room along with Makoto.

"I'm really sorry I took so long." Ami said, handing a plain paper bag to Rei. "It took me longer than I thought to get in and out of the infirmary. One of the doctors was asking me a few questions about a patient."

"Okay. You guys are acting weird." Hotaru said. "What's going on? What did she give you? Is the princess sick?"

Rei noticed that Hotaru looked extremely worried.

"No. No. Don't worry, little one." Rei placed a reassuring hand on Hotaru's shoulder. "She's all right."

"But, something is definitely up." Haruka said. "You can tell us. Especially since you didn't bother to tell us you two were even a couple until half of the palace already knew."

"I already apologized for that a long time ago." Rei groaned. "Please Haruka, the last thing I need right now is a guilt trip. I have a lot on my mind."

"Don't pay any attention to her, Rei." Michiru said. "It was a complicated situation. We completely understand why you didn't say anything. And if you don't want to tell us what's in the bag, we understand that too."

"Thanks. But, it's okay. I'll tell you guys…it's a pregnancy test. Minako told me this morning that she thinks she's pregnant. So we need to find out if she is."

"All over each other already?" Haruka smirked. "You guys couldn't wait until the wedding night, huh?"

"It was only one time. We would have waited, but it was the night before she told her parents she wanted to marry me. We had no idea what they were going to say. I didn't know if I'd ever see her again..." Rei rambled.

"That's perfectly understandable." Makoto said. "You didn't know you were a royal. They could have been angry...I'm sure you were both nervous and emotional."

"I thought Venusian birth control was pretty much one hundred percent effective though?" Haruka said. "How did this even happen?"

"Venusian royal women aren't allowed to have their birth control chip activated until the day of their wedding." Ami said. "Since they're supposed to remain intact until their wedding night."

"They're supposed be virgins?" Hotaru asked. "Why?"

"Minako said their ancestors believed that royal women being virgins until marriage would give them a stronger marital bond." Rei explained. "And they thought somehow that would help them birth more female babies since women are considered more valuable on this planet. Females are usually preferred."

"Their ancestors also believed that by giving royal women access to birth control and greatly reducing their chance of becoming pregnant outside of wedlock, they would be more likely to give in to temptation and disregard their traditions." Ami added. "Obviously now we know there's absolutely no scientific evidence to support those beliefs. At this point they've carried these rules on as tradition. It's symbolic to them."

"I had no idea royals had such uptight rules about sex." Hotaru said. "They're definitely not shy about sex around here. I think Venusians have more of it than everyone else in the galaxy."

"Well, maybe not everyone." Michiru smirked, slipping her arm around Haruka's shoulders and causing her girlfriend to blush.

"Yes. Well...anyway..." Setsuna cleared her throat. "Are you upset about the princess possibly being pregnant, Rei? I mean, you understand royal couples are typically expected to have children, eventually..."

"I suppose that's true. I just never really had a reason to consider myself having children before. And everything has happened so fast between Minako and I. This whole thing has just thrown me for a loop. I guess I never really had time to think about it. I'm not upset, but, I'm still trying to get myself used to the idea. Minako will be a wonderful mother, I have no doubt about that, it's me that I'm unsure of."

"What concerns do you have about becoming a mother?" Ami asked.

"I worry that maybe I'm not cut out for it. What if I end up like my father? I just don't want to fail Minako and our future children the way my bastard of a father failed my mother and I."

"Oh Rei. That would never happen." Makoto said. "You're nothing like your father."

"I wouldn't worry about that at all." Michiru said. "You might not have had the best father, but you had a fantastic mother. I'm sure you've inherited her instincts."

"Yeah. You'll be a great mom." Hotaru said. "You'll know exactly what to do when the time comes."

"Thank you all for the support." Rei smiled. "It means a lot to Minako and I."

"You should hurry and go to her." Setsuna said. "I'm sure the princess is going crazy not knowing."

"Do you want us to come with you?" Haruka asked.

"Sweetheart, I rather doubt that the princess wants an entire entourage while she takes a pregnancy test." Michiru said, taking Haruka's hand. "I'm sure she probably only wants Rei."

"Good point." Haruka shrugged. "We'll be here if either of you need anything."

"Thank you."

* * *

When Rei got to Minako's bedroom, she opened the door and stepped inside to find Minako with her nursemaid.

"Did you get the test from Ami?" Minako asked.

"Yes." Rei nodded, she pulled the bag out from the inside pocket of her jacket and handed it to Minako.

"Do you want me to leave?" Minako's nursemaid asked. "If you want some privacy-"

"No. Please stay." Minako said. "I'll be right back."

After a few minutes, Minako emerged from the bathroom.

"How long does the test take?" Rei asked.

"It says ten minutes."

As they waited, Rei began heavily pacing back and forth about the room, her boots dragging across the floor.

"Rei. You're making me nervous." Minako said. "Come sit down."

"It just feels like we have to wait forever." Rei said as she sat down on the bed, next to Minako. "I hate waiting."

"I know, love." Minako reached over and took Rei's hand. "So do I."

As they sat on the bed anxiously waiting, Rei subconsciously began repeatedly bouncing her leg up and down a mile a minute.

"I think you might be more nervous than I am." Minako placed her hand on Rei's knee.

"I'm sorry. I've never been this nervous before. I should be supporting you."

"Don't be sorry." Minako said, reassuringly. "It's okay to be nervous."

Ten minutes later.

"It's been just about ten minutes." Minako's nursemaid said.

Rei and Minako both stood up together.

"Do you want me to check the test?" Rei asked. "Or do you want to-"

"You look." Minako's heart thumped against her chest.

"Okay." Rei nodded.

Rei walked into the bathroom and retrieved the test stick.

"Well?" Minako asked, her head throbbed and she held her breath, waiting for Rei to speak.

Rei glanced down at the test, but her facial expression never changed. She then glanced back up at Minako. Rei swallowed audibly and slowly opened her mouth to speak.

"It's...positive." Rei said, softly.

"I knew it." Minako stared into Rei's eyes, she took the test stick from the Martian and looked at it for her own confirmation.

"Are you okay?" Rei asked.

Minako nodded. "Are you?"

"Of course I am." Rei stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Minako. "I...can't believe I'm actually going to be a mother."

Rei slowly ran her fingers through the blonde's hair.

"I know this is happening much sooner than anyone would have expected. But, it'll be all right." Rei pulled back and pressed her lips to Minako's.

"I've dedicated so much time to helping raise you." Minako's nursemaid said. "I can't wait to help with your children." She walked over to the couple and happily embraced both of them. "I'm so happy for you two."

"We need to have you see a doctor right away." Rei said.

"But, if I go to a doctor, they'll tell my parents. I'm sure my father will be furious. And I can't think my mother will be thrilled either. I'm supposed to be a virgin, remember?"

"You won't be able to hide this from your parents for long." Minako's nursemaid said. "You're a very petite woman. You won't have much time until you begin to show."

"You're right." Minako placed her hand on her stomach. "I've already gained a little weight..."

"Maybe they won't be terribly upset." Rei said. "We're already getting married in just a few days and at least I'm the only person you've been with. It can't matter that much, right? Your parents would expect that we'd consummate our marriage on our wedding night, wouldn't they?"

"I guess they would." Minako nodded. "Maybe we should at least wait to tell them until after the wedding."

"But, on the morning of our wedding, you're supposed to have your birth control chip activated." Rei said. "If you let them, what if there's a risk of causing harm to the baby?"

"Oh no." Minako sighed. "You're right. I completely forgot. The doctors always give a full medical exam and pregnancy test before activating a birth control chip-"

"So they'll find out before we marry anyway." Rei said. "We might as well tell them ourselves."

"My mother is supposed to return home from her trip tonight. I'll talk to her then." Minako said. "I think I'd rather have her know first. Hopefully, she can help soften up daddy."

"I'll come with you." Rei wrapped her arms around Minako's body and placed a kiss to the top of the blonde's head. "Don't worry."

Minako was immediately comforted at the feeling of being wrapped tightly in the Martian's arms.

"Everything will be fine." Rei said reassuringly, when they separated. "Okay?"

"Okay." Minako nodded. "We're actually having a baby." She smiled. "You're getting your first heir to Mars."

"It's just a shame that there's really not much for me to pass down someday though-"

"The palace will be rebuilt. And I'm certain that this baby will inherit your warrior spirit and kind heart." Minako leaned forward and kissed Rei. "That's so much more valuable than any material possession you could ever leave behind."

A moment later Minako, Rei and Minako's nursemaid were surprised when the door to the bedroom opened without so much as a knock and the king entered.

"Minako...I just wanted to-" as soon as the king stepped foot into the room, he immediately noticed that Minako was holding something in her hand. His expression changed in an instant when he realized that the object was a pregnancy test. His eyes darted from the test stick to Rei and then back to Minako as he took a few heavy steps toward his daughter and Rei.

"What the Hell is going on here?" An angry tone resonated deep in the king's voice.

"Daddy, I-" Minako took a step backward and clutched Rei's arm.

"I'll ask you this one time and one time only..." the king said, sternly. "Are…you...pregnant?"

Minako's heart thumped hard against her chest, a lump formed in her throat and she was completely unable to speak.

"Minako!" The king raised his voice even louder.

"Yes." Minako spoke softly, averting her eyes from her father. "I am."

"Your Highness." Minako's nursemaid said. "Please-"

"Guards!" The king yelled at the top of his lungs.

"You." The king then set his sight on Rei, gritting his teeth. "How dare you disrespect the traditions of this kingdom and disgrace my daughter-"

"Daddy, please don't-"

Three guards from the king's home planet rushed into the room with their swords drawn out in front of them.

"Seize the Martian immediately." The king ordered.

Two of the guards quickly moved forward and grabbed Rei by her arms.

"Throw her into the dungeon. At dawn, she dies in front of the entire kingdom." The king said, coldly. "By hanging."

"No." Tears quickly welled up in the corners of Minako's eyes. She reached out for the Martian as the guards pulled her toward the door. "Rei-"

"Minako." Rei reached for Minako's hand, their fingertips just barely brushing against each other as the guards quickly led Rei out of the room.

"You can't do this." Minako turned toward her father, tears freely flowing from her eyes.

"I'll do whatever I damn well please in this palace."

"If you kill her. I'll never forgive you." Minako cried. "I'm still having this baby whether you like it or not."

"This isn't open for discussion." The king said as he stormed out of the room.

"What am I supposed to do?" Minako ran to her nursemaid, hugging her and sobbing into her shoulder as a fresh round of tears began to fall from her eyes.

"Honey. I'm so sorry. This isn't fair." The woman gently ran her hand up and down Minako's back as tears began to flow from her eyes as well. "We have to talk to your mother. There has to be something she can do to stop this."

* * *

Later that night.

"What are we going to do?" Hotaru asked. "We can't just stand by let them kill Rei tomorrow morning. I'll destroy this entire planet before I ever let that happen." Hotaru grasped her Silence Glaive tightly in her small hand.

"Calm down." Setsuna said. "That won't solve anything."

"But we have to do something." Haruka said. "We at least have to get her out of the palace and get her away from Venus. They won't be able to come after her if she's not on Venusian soil."

"Even if we do break her of the dungeon, there's no way she'll go anywhere." Makoto said. "She won't leave the princess. Even if it means risking her own life."

"This is so unfair." Michiru said. "The virginity of the princess is only symbolic. There's no way the repercussions for Rei can be this serious. The king is completely overreacting."

"Especially because it was all consensual." Setsuna added. "It's not like Rei forced herself on the princess. We know that."

"Exactly." Hotaru agreed. "He can't sentence her to death over this..."

"Ami. Are you finding anything out about the laws yet?" Makoto asked. "The king can't carry out an execution like this, can he?"

"I'm looking." Ami said, furiously typing on her handheld computer. "But, I'm having trouble connecting to the network. I haven't been able to get a signal. I don't know what's wrong."

"Neither can I." Michiru said, lifting her communicator up above her head. "There's no satellite signal at all."

All of the guardians looked toward the door when they noticed the princess enter the room with tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Princess." Makoto rushed to her side.

Minako wrapped her arms around the tall Jovian.

"Have you been able to reach your mother?" Makoto asked.

"No. I was told a massive supernova has knocked out several major communication satellites. I've tried over and over to get through, but I can't. A few air crafts made emergency landings just outside the castle grounds. As of right now, tons of flights are being delayed all over the inner solar system and asteroid belt. My mother might not even be able to make it home tonight."

"The last time a supernova disrupted communications, it took hours for the networks to be restored." Ami said. "We don't have time to waste. We'll have to do things the old fashioned way. We need to get to the library. You keep hard copies of law books, don't you?" Ami looked over at Minako.

Minako nodded. "On the second floor, near the back of the library. I'm sorry that I don't know all of the laws off hand. I'm no help." Minako frowned.

"Don't worry, Princess." Ami said. "No one could possibly know every single law. We'll figure something out."

"Ami, why don't you take Mako and Setsuna up to the library with you?" Haruka said. "Michiru, Hotaru and I will watch over the princess for now."

"It'll be all right." Haruka said, placing her arm around Minako's shoulder. "We'll protect Rei. We won't let anything happen to her. I promise."

"I just want to see her. But, the guards won't let me-" Minako used the heels of her hands to wipe her eyes.

"Yes, they will." Haruka held out her hand and Minako watched as a brightly glowing sword in a jewel encrusted sheath materialized in front of her. "Let's see if we can't change their minds." Haruka wrapped her hand around the handle of her sword and glanced over at Hotaru who already, eagerly had her glaive in hand, giving a ready nod to the Uranian.

Once they reached the dungeon, Haruka and Hotaru approached the two guards standing on either side of the heavy iron door behind which Rei was being held while Michiru stood a few steps back with Minako.

"The princess has requested to see Lieutenant Hino." Haruka said. "Open the door. Now."

"That's impossible. We are under strict orders from the king-" One of the guards spoke.

"No one gets in. Not even the princess." The second guard said.

"Is that so?" Haruka stepped forward and quickly drew her sword from its sheath.

Both guards reached for their swords, but before either guard could react, Haruka had the blade of her sword pressed to one of the guard's throats, while Hotaru had the sharp tip of her glaive pointed toward the throat of the second guard.

"Please." Minako stepped forward toward the guards. "I'm only asking for a few minutes. I just want to see her." She pleaded as a fresh round of tears began to prick the blonde's eyes.

"We don't want to fight." Hotaru said.

"But, we'll do what we have to." Haruka added.

The guards turned their heads and looked at each other, silently agreeing to grant the princess' request.

"Five minutes." One of the guards spoke up. "That's it. If the king finds out, we'll be in there with her."

"Thank you." Minako placed her hand on one of the guard's shoulders.

The guard took the key and unlocked the door. He slowly pulled it open, a loud rusty squeak echoed throughout the hallway. Minako quickly slipped through the door, the room was cold and dark, a thick layer of dust coated the floor and almost every surface in the room. There were cobwebs hanging from the ceiling, it was quite obvious that the dungeon was the least used room in the entire Venusian castle. As soon as Minako entered the room, she saw Rei sitting on the small, dirty cot along the back wall of the room, she was hunched forward with her elbows on her knees as she stared straight ahead at the wall.

"Minako." Rei stood up when she noticed the blonde entering the room. "You shouldn't be down here. If your father catches you-"

"I don't care. I had to see you." Tears streamed down Minako's cheeks as she walked toward Rei. The Martian quickly enveloped her in a tight embrace.

"Rei. I'm so sorry." Minako sobbed into Rei's shoulder. "This is all my fault."

"Don't say that. This isn't your fault at all." Rei gently ran her hand up and down Minako's back. "Please don't cry."

"I can't help it."

When they separated, Rei took Minako's hand in her own and stared into the blonde's deep blue eyes for several long moments.

"The first day we met I told you that tears didn't suit you and they still don't." Rei reached up and placed her hand on Minako's cheek, using her thumb to sweep away her tears.

"This just isn't fair." Minako sniffed.

"Your father can take my life, but he could never, ever take away what we have. No matter what happens tomorrow, I want you to remember that I love you with all of my heart and I'll always be with you even if it's not physically."

"You can't give up."

"I'm not. And I won't. I'll fight this, until I take my last breath, if I have to. I'm just grateful that I've gotten the opportunity to tell you that I love you at least one more time..."

Rei's expression was very stoic as it usually was, but Minako could see the apprehension, sadness and uncertainty residing deep in Rei's dark, amethyst eyes.

"You're trying to be brave for me." Minako managed to choke out through her tears. "But, you're afraid. I can see it in your eyes."

"I've never been a prisoner before." Rei shrugged. "This is new territory for me."

"I'll never let my father hurt you. I'm going to figure out a way to get you out of here. I promise you."

One of the guards opened the door and stepped into the room. "Princess..."

"You should go." Rei said. "I don't want you to get in trouble."

Rei took both of Minako's hands in her own, leaned forward and pressed her lips to the blonde's.

"I love you, Minako." Rei said when the kiss was broken.

"I love you too." Minako reciprocated, a fresh round of tears spilling down her cheeks. "The other guardians will protect you. They know you'd do the same for any of them."

Rei nodded and Minako hesitantly let her hands slip from Rei's grasp.

"Here." Rei reached into the inside pocket of her jacket and took out her handkerchief, which she handed to Minako. "Take this."

"Thanks." Minako smiled weakly, she unfolded the handkerchief and wiped the tears from her eyes and cheeks.

Minako then handed the handkerchief back to Rei.

"Hold on to it." Rei gently closed Minako's fingers around the small piece of cloth.

Minako wrapped her arms around Rei's body and hugged her as tight as she possibly could. When they separated, Rei stood, her eyes focused on Minako as she walked toward the door. Minako turned and looked at Rei, never breaking eye contact with the Martian as she followed the guard out the door. Rei squeezed her eyes closed and ran her fingers back through her hair as she heard the sound of the heavy metal door swing closed and lock behind Minako, leaving her alone once again.

* * *

It was very late that night when the queen finally arrived home. Almost the second she set foot in the castle, she was surrounded by Haruka, Michiru and Hotaru along with Minako's nursemaid, who explained everything that had happened earlier that day.

"Slow down." The queen said. "Minako is...pregnant?" Her eyes widened. "Are we sure?"

"She took a test this morning, Your Highness." Minako's nursemaid nodded. "I was with her when she did."

"Do we know how far along she is?" The Queen asked.

"Based on what she told me, she should be a little more than a month..."

"Is she all right?"

"She's terribly upset." Minako's nursemaid said. "But, not about the pregnancy. Your Highness, please, you have to talk to the king. He found out and he's very angry. He's planning to execute Lieutenant Hino at sunrise in front of the entire kingdom."

"He can't do that. I won't allow it." The queen said, firmly. "Where are Minako and Lieutenant Hino now?"

"The king threw Rei into the dungeon." Hotaru said, angrily. "She's been there all night."

"And the princess is in her bedroom." Michiru said. "We've tried to console her, but she's still extremely upset."

"I need to talk to her. But first, I'm going to speak to my husband."

* * *

Ami, Makoto and Setsuna sat in the library skimming through law books as quickly as they could.

"There has to be something…" Makoto said. "Women are more powerful here. The queen has to be able to overrule the king...or at least Serenity has to be able to do something about this…"

"Probably, but with the satellites still down, we have no way of contacting Serenity." Setsuna said. "Just keep reading."

"Here." Ami jumped up with the book in her hands.

"You found something?" Makoto asked.

"It says right here that executions on Venus may only be carried out following an official signed decree from the Venusian Queen." Ami said. "The king can't order an execution without the queen's consent."

"So Rei will be safe at least until the queen returns." Makoto said.

"And it'll buy us time to contact Serenity, just in case the queen would agree with the king." Setsuna said. "Hopefully the satellites will be restored soon."

"Come on. We have to go find the princess." Ami said.

Ami, Makoto and Setsuna rushed to Minako's bedroom, but when they got there, the princess was nowhere to be found. When the guardians turned around to leave the room, they saw Minako's nursemaid in the doorway.

"Have you seen the princess?" Setsuna asked.

"I haven't." Minako's nursemaid said. "I thought she would be here."

"She must still be with the other guardians." Makoto said.

"She's not." Minako's nursemaid shook her head. "I just saw them. The queen has returned. They were talking with her, but they said Minako was up here."

"It's a big castle. She has to be around here somewhere." Ami said. "We'll find her."

* * *

The queen quickly made her way upstairs to her bedroom, where she found her husband.

"You're home." The king said. "We have a lot to discuss."

"So I've heard." The queen said. "What were you thinking? You don't have the authority to order an execution. Much less one of another royal. You know that can only be carried out following my order. And I'll never allow it."

"I had to do something. We can't stand by and allow this woman to disrespect this kingdom and its traditions. She stole our daughter's innocence and-"

"She stole nothing from our daughter. When have you ever known Minako to do anything she didn't want to do?"

"Maybe that's half of the problem. You let Minako do whatever the hell she wants. She needs to learn some discipline. If you won't sign an execution order, we at least need to exile the Martian and terminate this pregnancy immediately. We'll choose a suitor for Minako as we originally planned-"

"We will do no such thing." The queen said, firmly.

"You'd rather let our daughter give birth to a bastard Martian child-"

"This baby is our first grandchild and future heir to both the Martian and Venusian kingdoms. I'm releasing Lieutenant Hino and the wedding will go on exactly as planned."

"Fine. Do what you want, but don't expect me to be in attendance."

"You're overreacting and blowing this all completely out of proportion. If this pregnancy had occurred any time after Minako's wedding, you would have been ecstatic. Don't forget you were just as excited as the rest of the kingdom about this wedding. Lieutenant Hino will make an excellent partner for our daughter and you know it. She'll protect Minako and she'll protect our kingdom."

"It doesn't matter what kind of partner she'll be. What purpose does it serve to have rules and laws at all, if you don't enforce them? If we let everyone run around breaking rules and disrespecting authority we'd live in complete anarchy. Is that how you'd prefer to rule over this kingdom?"

"This is completely different. Maybe it's time we consider rewriting some of the laws. Our daughter nearly missed out on the love of her life because of an outdated group of rules. I don't want to see that happen to our grandchildren someday. We should have done this a long time ago-"

"Your Highnesses." Minako's nursemaid burst into the room. "The Princess is missing."

"What do you mean she's missing?" The king said.

"When I went to check on her, she wasn't in her bedroom." Minako's nursemaid said. "The servants and guardians are looking all over the palace, but so far she's nowhere to be found. And one of the horses is missing from the stable. What if she's run away?" She said frantically.

"If anyone knows where she is, it's the Martian." The King said angrily storming out of the room.

The queen and nursemaid ran after the King, following him out of the room and all the way down to the castle's dungeon.

"Open the door now." The King spat to the guards.

One of the guards nervously fumbled around in his pocket and shakily pulled out the key to the door. Once the door was unlocked, the King flung the door open with so much force that it crashed loudly against the wall, partially crumbling one of the stone blocks that it connected with. The king ripped one of the guard's swords from the scabbard on his hip and entered the cell, he charged toward Rei, sword in hand, he grabbed her by the front of her shirt and pinned her up against the wall.

"Where is she?" He yelled and raised the blade of the sword toward Rei's neck. "Where's Minako?"

"I don't know-" Rei said, confused. Her eyes sunk downward and she stared at the blade pressed against her neck. "What-"

"Calm down." The queen placed her hands on her husband's forearm and pulled the sword back away from Rei.

"Lieutenant. Minako is missing." The queen said. "The castle staff is looking everywhere. No one can find her. One of the horses is also missing from the stable. We're afraid Minako may have run away-"

"What? No. She-"

"Have you seen her?" The queen asked. "Did she say anything-"

"If you know where she is and you don't tell us, God help me-" The king tightened his grip on the sword and began to raise it toward Rei again. "I'll kill you myself."

"You won't harm a single hair on her head." The queen stepped in between Rei and the King. "Lieutenant. Do you know anything? Anything at all?"

"She did come to see me tonight." Rei admitted. "But, that was hours ago. I swear she never said anything about running away. I would have tried to stop her. The last thing I want is for her to be out there somewhere pregnant and alone. You have to let me go find her. Please."

"Let you go." The King laughed sarcastically. "So you can run? I don't think so."

"A warrior never runs like a coward." Rei said firmly, narrowing her eyes at the king. "I would never abandon Minako. I want to marry her. And we deserve the opportunity to raise our child together."

"Your Highness. Please." Rei turned toward the queen. "I love your daughter more than anything. I'd give my life for her..."

"This is getting us nowhere." The king interjected. "I'll go find her myself and if she has even so much as a single scratch on her, it'll be your head, Lieutenant."

The King turned and stormed off out of the cell.

"I know my husband is angry, but he loves Minako every bit as much as I do." The queen said. "I know he's just worried. I won't let him harm you."

"Your Highness. If you let me go, I'll do everything I can to bring Minako home safely. You have my word."

"Please find her." The queen said. "I can't bear the thought of anything happening to her."

"I won't rest until I find her. I promise."

"Guards. I'm ordering Lieutenant Hino's release immediately." The queen said. "Go with her. Help her search for Minako."

"Of course, Your Majesty." One of the guards said.

"I'll be fine on my own." Rei said. "Let them stay behind and watch over the castle."

"Please be careful, Lieutenant." Minako's nursemaid placed her hand on Rei's shoulder.

"I will." Rei nodded.

* * *

Rei quickly ran to the stable with the other guardians following closely behind. She grabbed a saddle and bridle and found Phobos' stall. The large black horse pawed anxiously at the ground and paced back and forth. Rei noticed the name plate on the front of the adjacent stall, which belonged to Deimos, but the stall was currently empty.

"Easy." Rei said, gently stroking the horse's nose in an attempt to calm him. "Remember me?"

Rei slipped the bridle onto the horse's head and saddled him as quickly as she possibly could.

"Rei, do you know where the princess is?" Haruka asked.

"Not for sure. But, I have an idea." Rei said as she led Phobos out of his stall.

When they got outside, she placed her foot in the stirrup and swiftly mounted the horse.

"Please let at least one of us go with you." Michiru said. "It's the middle of the night and I can feel a storm coming. You shouldn't go alone..."

"I'll be all right. Don't worry about me." Rei gently kicked the horse's sides and he began galloping off into the darkness of the night until they disappeared into the distance.

When Rei reached the castle limits, she found the broken section of the wall and signaled the horse to jump over it. Rei continued on through the wooded area, it was so dark that she could barely even see where she was going. The brief intermittent flashes of lightning provided her only guiding light, the air was thick and heavy and thunder rumbled off in the distance, but she continued on without hesitation, hoping that she was heading in the right direction. After several more minutes of dodging stray tree branches, Rei stopped, she held her breath, trying to remain as silent as possible as she listened carefully. In between the low rumbles of thunder, Rei was sure that she could hear the sound of falling water off in the distance. Rei reached behind her to the horse's saddle and pulled a few arrows from her quiver. She took a handkerchief from her jacket and put the arrows together, wrapping the handkerchief tightly around the tips. She tied the handkerchief to the arrows with a piece of extra bow string, crafting a makeshift torch. She used her pyrokinetic ability to light the handkerchief in a bright red and orange blaze. She gave Phobos a swift kick with the heel of her boots and the horse began galloping again, the sound of the waterfall becoming louder and louder as she got closer. As she finally approached the clearing where the waterfall was located, several huge bolts of lightning streaked across the clouds illuminating the entire sky for a split second. Not far from her position, Rei saw another large black horse, standing near the rock formation that the waterfall was cascading down.

"Minako!?" Rei called out, though a loud clap of thunder drowned out her voice.

Rei pulled back on Phobos' reins as they approached the other horse, which Rei could only hope was Deimos. She didn't even wait for Phobos to come to a stop before swinging her leg over his back and dismounting. As soon as her feet hit the ground, Rei ran up toward the rock shelf behind the waterfall where she and Minako had shared their first kiss.

"Minako!?" Rei called out again. "Can you hear me? Where are you? Are you all right?"

"Rei? Is that you?" A voice replied.

Rei turned toward the direction of the sound of Minako's voice and she saw the silhouette of a woman come into view by the dim light of her torch.

"Minako. Thank God." Rei stepped forward. "Are you okay?" Rei placed her hand on the side of the blonde's face. "I was so worried about you."

"You escaped. How did you get out?" Minako happily kissed Rei.

"I didn't. Your mother let me go."

"She's home-"

"Yes." Rei nodded.

"Is she upset about the pregnancy?"

"She didn't seem to be. I don't think she's going to let your father keep us apart."

"That's great." Minako smiled. "We can still get married and have this baby. We'll be okay." Minako leaned forward and kissed Rei again.

"Your father might not be happy about this situation, but he is worried about you. The whole kingdom is. All of the servants, the guardians, your mother and father are searching everywhere for you. Why would you run away?"

"I wasn't intending to run away. I needed to clear my mind. I had to get away from the palace. I never would have left you."

"I wish you would have taken one of the guardians with you. It's dangerous for you to come all the way out here alone especially at night-"

"Don't worry. I'm okay."

"I'm so glad." Rei breathed a sigh of relief. "We need to get you back to the palace. Come on." Rei took Minako's hand.

Another huge bolt of lightning illuminated the whole sky, followed by a loud crash of thunder that shook the ground. In a split second, the sky began pouring down a cold, heavy drenching rain. Minako pulled Rei back into a small cave behind the rock shelf that they were standing on.

"We can't go back now. Not in the middle of a storm." Minako said. "It's getting closer. It'll only get worse before it clears."

"You're right. It's too dangerous. We'll have to wait it out here."

Rei took a few steps into the cave and held out the torch to illuminate the area, making sure it was safe.

"We should be safe here for now." Rei said, she wedged the torch through a small crack in the wall so that it could stand freely.

"I have to make sure Deimos is all right." Minako said. "I have to find him shelter from the rain."

"He's okay." Rei said. "I brought Phobos. They're smart animals, they can stand under the cliff overhang if they want shelter. They'll be all right."

"Did Phobos behave for you?"

"Yes." Rei nodded. "He didn't give me any trouble. I think he was worried about you too."

"Sit down." Rei led Minako to a dry spot in the cave, where she helped her to sit down on the cave floor against a large rock. "You need to relax. You shouldn't have any stress. Not in your condition. It's not good for you."

"Rei. I'm only a month pregnant." Minako chuckled. "You don't need to be so overprotective."

"Of course I do. It's my responsibility to protect you." Rei said, sitting down next to the blonde and placing her arm around her. "It's late. Maybe we should try to get a little sleep while we wait out this storm. It's been a long, stressful day for both of us."

"I have a much better idea." Minako smiled and leaned over to kiss Rei. Rei placed her hand on Minako's cheek and Minako's hands found Rei's hair. Rei closed her eyes and gently deepened the kiss. Minako let her hands slip from Rei's hair down over her shoulders and she then slowly began to unzip Rei's jacket.

Minako laid down on the cold stone floor, playfully pulling Rei down on top of her.

"Here? N-now?" Rei said, hovering above Minako.

"Why not? We're alone. And it doesn't look like we're going anywhere for a while."

"Wait a second. Here." Rei slipped off her jacket, balled it up and placed it beneath Minako's head. "That's better."

Rei straddled Minako's small waist and leaned down to kiss the blonde.

"Are you okay?" Rei asked, staring down into Minako's eyes.

"Of course." Minako smiled.

Rei felt Minako's hands slowly slide up her body and begin undoing the buttons on her shirt. Rei slipped her shirt down her arms and tossed it off to the side. She then gently began kissing Minako's neck and chest. One of Rei's hands slowly snaked its way underneath the hem of Minako's dress and up her bare thigh. Minako moaned softly when she felt the Martian begin sucking and lightly nipping at her neck. Rei's lips soon found Minako's again, the blonde's hands slowly slipped down Rei's body and unbuckled her belt. Minako then wrapped her arms around Rei's shoulders as she felt the Martian's tongue swiftly slip into her mouth. After a few minutes, Rei pulled back and she leaned her forehead against Minako's.

"I love you." Rei said softly.

"I love you too." Minako said, placing her hand on Rei's cheek.

* * *

A few hours later.

Rei and Minako were huddled together on the floor of the cave. Rei protectively had her arms wrapped tightly around Minako. When Rei slowly opened her eyes, she noticed the soft pinkish-red glow of sunrise peeking in through the entrance of the cave. She sat up, pulled her t shirt down over her abdomen and zipped and buttoned her pants. Rei looked over at Minako, who was wrapped comfortably in her messily buttoned uniform shirt.

"Minako." Rei said softly as she gently shook the blonde's shoulder. "Sweetheart. Wake up."

"Hm?" Minako groaned a little, as her eyes fluttered open.

"The sun's coming up. And the storm's over. We need to head back to the palace now."

Rei assisted Minako to her feet and then picked up the princess' dress. Rei couldn't help but notice the way the two halves of her uniform shirt met low on Minako's chest, showing off her cleavage. Rei's eyes then began to wander down to Minako's legs, the bottom of the shirt barely concealing her backside and upper thighs.

"Here." Rei handed Minako her dress.

Minako unbuttoned Rei's shirt, slipped it off of her body and handed it back to the Martian, leaving her in only her underwear. Minako noticed that Rei's eyes were locked intently on her.

"What's wrong" Minako asked.

"Nothing. It's just…do you have any idea how beautiful you are?" Rei said.

Minako smiled. "I really hope you'll still feel that way in a few months when I'm huge and can barely even move."

"Are you kidding? Of course I'll still think you're beautiful. Probably even more than I do now." Rei placed her hand on Minako's abdomen and kissed her.

"Let's get dressed." Rei said when the kiss was broken. "We need to get you home."

* * *

A few days later.

It was late in the morning and all of the castle's servants were busy making the final last minute preparations for the wedding.

"Well Rei, are you ready?" Haruka asked.

"I think so." Rei nodded. "Do I look all right?" She looked in the mirror and straightened the red tie around her neck.

"You look fantastic." Makoto said, placing her hand on Rei's shoulder.

"Thank you. I can't wait to see Minako." Rei smiled.

"I'm sure she'll look absolutely gorgeous." Michiru said.

"I feel sorry for her though." Hotaru said. "I heard the king isn't coming to the wedding. She's pretty upset."

"I don't understand how he can just refuse to show up at the wedding." Setsuna said.

"Minako is his only daughter. You'd think he could get over his stubbornness for her." Ami said.

"I don't understand either." Makoto said. "He seemed so relieved when you brought her home the other morning, Rei. He was going crazy searching for her. He obviously loves her."

"He was relieved to have her back. He wouldn't even look at me though." Rei said. "He does love Minako a lot, but he hates me and he's taking it out on her. It's not fair…how long do we have until the wedding starts?"

"About half an hour." Haruka said. "Why?"

"I know I'm the last person he wants to see. But, I'm going to talk to him. I have to try for Minako. I'll see you guys in a little while."

* * *

Once the queen had finished getting dressed, she set off to search for her husband. She walked down the hall and turned the corner, where she found her husband, making his way down the hall, but he was currently not dressed in his tuxedo and didn't appear to be in any rush to get ready despite the fact that the wedding ceremony would be taking place very shortly.

"You're really not planning to come to the wedding?" The queen said.

"You're already aware of my feelings about the situation." The king said, indifferently.

"She's pregnant. That's not going to change. You're going to have to get over it. She wants you at the wedding."

The king didn't respond, only shrugged.

"You're free to refuse to be in attendance and share in one of the happiest days of our only daughter's life. But, if you choose to remain too proud and too stubborn to cast aside your anger over this situation, just know that it'll break Minako's heart. I have to go check on her. If you change your mind, you know where we'll be."

* * *

Minako was standing in front of a large floor-length mirror in her wedding dress, staring at her reflection when the queen entered the room. She carefully looked her daughter up and down.

"Honey, you look so beautiful." The queen said, taking Minako's hands in her own.

"Thank you." Minako smiled.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes." Minako nodded happily. "I can't wait to see Rei...but, Daddy's not coming, is he?" The princess' smile quickly faded to a frown.

"I don't know." The queen said. "I hope he'll change his mind, but I wouldn't expect it."

"I know he's not happy about my pregnancy, but I love Rei so much. And we're both so happy about the baby. I just wish he understood that."

"So do I, sweetheart. But, you know how stubborn he is."

"He doesn't even want to talk about it." Minako sighed heavily. "What if he doesn't want anything to do with the baby when it's born?"

"Your father can't stay upset forever. We just have to take this one day at a time. Don't let him bring you down today, this should be one of the happiest days of your life." The queen hugged her daughter. "You and Rei both deserve to enjoy it."

Minako nodded and smiled weakly. "I was just really looking forward to having him walk me down the aisle..."

A few tears slipped down Minako's cheeks.

"Don't cry." The queen reached up and wiped away her daughter's tears. "If he won't walk you down the aisle, I will. It'll be all right."

"I have your veil." The seamstress walked over to Minako with a white veil in her hand, connected to a flower crown made up of fresh, bright orange roses.

"Oh. Thank you." Minako sniffed and dried her eyes.

The seamstress placed the crown on Minako's head. "You look absolutely perfect. I wish you and the Lieutenant all the happiness in the universe."

"Thank you." Minako smiled.

* * *

Rei quickly walked down the empty hallway, the sound of her shoes clicking on the floor echoed loudly as Rei made her way to the king and queen's chambers. The door was open and Rei let herself in. Upon entering the room, Rei found the king sitting in a large arm chair on the opposite side of the room.

"Your Highness." Rei said.

The king didn't speak and refused to even acknowledge Rei's presence in the room.

"I fully understand that you don't want to speak to me. But, I have something that I need to say and I hope you'll at least listen."

Rei took a few steps closer to the king.

"I came to ask you to consider coming to the wedding. Minako loves you and she wants you to be there. I'm not asking you to give a damn about me…you can hate me all you want, but you should do this for your daughter. It would mean everything to her. If you miss her wedding, I know you'll regret it someday. Please don't punish Minako because of me. She doesn't deserve it."

Rei turned and left the room. She made her way down to the throne room and walked in. Most of the guests, including the other guardians were already seated in chairs that had been placed throughout the room. Rei walked to the front of the room and took her place in front of the female officiant who would be performing the marriage ceremony. Rei noticed both Serenity and Endymion sitting in the front row. She smiled and nodded to both of them as she waited patiently for the ceremony to begin.

Minako stood outside of the throne room. She held on to her mother's arm with one hand and held a bouquet made up of vibrant orange roses and pure snow white Casablanca lilies in her other hand.

"Are you nervous?" The queen asked.

"No. Not at all." Minako said confidently.

The doors to the throne room opened and Minako was given the cue to enter.

"Wait!" A male voice called out from down the hallway.

Minako and the queen both turned and were shocked to see the king running down the hallway, fully dressed in his wedding tuxedo.

"Daddy." Minako smiled. "You're here."

"Yes." He nodded, breathing heavily. "I can't miss this."

"I'm so glad you changed your mind." Minako threw her arms around her father and hugged him.

"You look so beautiful, Minako." The king said as he leaned down and placed a kiss to his daughter's forehead. "Oh and happy birthday, I almost forgot."

"Thanks. Rei is honestly the best birthday present I could have ever asked for."

"We better not keep her waiting." The king said.

"I suppose I'll go take my seat." The queen smiled.

"No. You should both walk with me." Minako said. "Let's go."

As Minako walked through the door with her parents on either side of her, the gaze of each person in the room shifted to the princess, though Minako's attention was focused only on the Martian lieutenant standing in the front of the room. Rei stood up straight, hands clasped tightly in front of her body as she took in her first glimpse of her very soon-to-be wife in her wedding dress. Minako was even more stunningly beautiful than she normally was. Rei and Minako kept their eyes locked intently on each other the entire time that Minako made her way down the aisle. When she reached the front of the room, Minako hugged both of her parents and handed her bouquet of flowers to her mother before taking her place opposite Rei. On her way to her seat, the queen stopped and gave Rei a hug. Rei then fully expected the king to walk past her without even so much as a glance. But to her surprise, he placed one hand on her shoulder and used the other to initiate a sincere handshake. Once the king and queen had taken their seats on their thrones, the officiant began the ceremony.

Rei took Minako's hands in her own, she stared deep into the blonde's eyes through the thin, transparent fabric of the veil that the princess was wearing over her face. Rei listened carefully to the words that the officiant was speaking, still trying to wrap her mind around the fact that she was actually getting married. But, when the appropriate time came, Rei replied with a confident "I do," as she gently slipped Minako's shiny golden wedding band, which bore the symbol of Venus onto the blonde's left ring finger. Minako then happily repeated the same vows, reciprocating with an equally confident "I do." She then slid Rei's perfectly polished, ebony colored ring engraved with the symbol of Mars onto the Martian's finger. Once instructed to do so by the officiant, Rei carefully lifted the veil from Minako's face and with their first kiss as a married couple, Rei and Minako happily sealed the eternal union of the Martian and Venusian kingdoms.


	7. Chapter 7

Approximately eight months later.

Rei hurriedly burst through the doors of the infirmary, she raced down the hallway until she found the room that Minako was in. As soon as she entered the room, she found that Minako was alone, lying in one of the beds.

"You're home." Minako sat up, smiling from ear to ear.

"I got here as soon as I possibly could." Rei hurried over to Minako and hugged her wife. "They told me you were in labor...where's the doctor and your parents? Why are you all alone?"

"Sweetheart. Calm down. It's all right." Minako pulled back and kissed Rei. "It was only a false alarm. But, the doctor said she doesn't think it'll be long until I'm ready to deliver."

"Oh. Okay." Rei breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'm so happy to have you home." Minako wrapped her arms tightly around Rei.

"I'm glad to be back. I've missed you so much." Rei happily returned the embrace. "I'm sorry I've been gone for so long."

"I've missed you too. It's been about four months now. But, the Army needed you..."

"I didn't expect it would have taken so long to defeat the enemy troops. There were a lot more of them than we ever could have imagined. It was tough, but our troops made it through. Peace has been restored to the Milky Way."

"I'm glad you're safe. And I couldn't be prouder of you, Captain." Minako smiled, placing her hand on Rei's cheek. "I'm sorry I couldn't be there for your promotion ceremony."

"It's all right. It wouldn't have been a good idea for you to travel so late into your pregnancy."

"I did get to watch the ceremony though. Ami recorded it for me."

"I'm glad. And I have some more good news. The Army approved me to take a leave of absence so that I can stay with you and the babies for a while."

"That's wonderful news."

"This still hasn't really sunken in for me yet." Rei said, looking at her very pregnant wife's abdomen. "When you told me we were having twins, I couldn't believe it-"

"I had a feeling you were surprised. You did pass out." Minako chuckled.

"Sorry." Rei laughed. "Believe me I took a lot of kidding from the other soldiers when I woke up."

Minako chuckled. "Are you planning to be here in the room with me when I give birth?"

"Do you want me to be?"

"I do. But, if you'd rather not, I understand. I don't want you to pass out..."

"I'll be fine." Rei took Minako's hand in her own and kissed it. "If you want me here. I'll be here. Has the doctor told you the sex of the babies yet?"

"No." Minako shook her head. "She asked me a while ago, during an ultrasound, if I wanted her to tell me, but I said no. I told her I didn't want to find out. At least not until you could be here with me."

After a few minutes, Minako's doctor entered the room.

"Captain Hino. I'm glad you're back safely." The doctor said. "Congratulations on your promotion."

"Thank you very much."

"I hear plans for the new Martian palace are going well."

"Yes." Rei nodded. "When I was on Mars for the ceremony, I met with the architects designing the palace. It's going to be incredible when it's finished."

"I can't wait to see it." Minako said.

"Princess, you're free to go whenever you want to." The doctor said. "I don't think the babies will be making their appearance any time today."

"Is everything all right with Minako and the babies?" Rei asked.

"Absolutely. False labor isn't uncommon." The doctor said. "But, now that Captain Hino has returned, would you like to know the sex of the babies?" The doctor looked at the princess.

"Do you want to know, Rei?" Minako asked.

"Do you?"

"Yes." Minako nodded. "I don't know if I can wait until they're born. I've waited so long already."

"Okay. What are we having?" Rei asked, looking at the doctor.

"Princess…Captain...congratulations. Both babies are girls." The doctor smiled.

"Can you believe it?" Minako said happily. "Twin girls."

Rei smiled and leaned down to kiss her wife.

"I'll leave you two alone." The doctor said. "And I'll check in with you again tomorrow, Princess. In the meantime, try to relax and if you need anything at all, please let me know."

"Thank you." Rei said before the doctor left the room.

Minako placed her hand on her own abdomen as she felt one of the babies kick her.

"Would you like to feel one of your daughters kick?" Minako asked. "They've been really active today."

"I would love to."

"Right here, love." Minako took Rei's hand and guided it over her abdomen to the spot where she felt one of the babies moving.

"This is amazing." Rei said, feeling her daughter kick for the first time. "I can't believe we're about to be parents."

"Neither can I. I'm so excited. I'm a little nervous to give birth though."

"Don't be. You can do it. And I'll be right there with you the whole time."

Rei leaned down and pressed her lips to Minako's.

"Why don't you let me help you upstairs?" Rei said. "I'm sure you'll be a lot more comfortable in our bedroom."

"Good idea. You and I have an awful lot of catching up to do, Captain." Minako smirked and slipped her hand into Rei's hair.

"Oh. That's not what I meant." Rei chuckled. "The doctor said you need to relax..."

"Well...that's why I was hoping you wouldn't mind doing most of the work this time..."

"Uh. Is it safe for us to-"

"Of course. The doctor said it's perfectly fine. I asked her as soon as I found out you'd be coming home." Minako laughed.

"As long as you feel up to it-"

"Honey, it's been four months since we've been together. Trust me, I feel up to it."

"I shouldn't be surprised." Rei laughed. "I did marry a Venusian after all."

* * *

Approximately one week later.

It was late at night, but Rei stood wide awake at Minako's bedside in the infirmary, anxiously waiting for her wife to give birth. The queen stood on the other side of her daughter's bed as all three women waited for the doctor to return. By now, Minako had been in labor for the past several hours and was beginning to grow restless and impatient as she hadn't yet been allowed to start pushing.

Rei began pacing back and forth about the room, absently spinning her wedding ring around her finger.

"Rei, sweetheart...are you a little nervous?" Minako chuckled.

"Nervous, anxious, excited, impatient...pick one. At this point, I'm not even sure which one I feel the most." Rei said.

"Come over here and hold my hand." Minako said.

"Sure." Rei nodded.

"How are you feeling, honey? You're more important." Rei said, taking Minako's hand. "I know you don't like all of this waiting."

"I'm okay." Minako stared up at Rei.

Rei leaned down and gently kissed her wife's forehead.

"I'll go ahead and check your cervix again." The doctor said when she reentered the room.

The doctor pulled on a new pair of gloves and began to examine Minako once again.

Minako closed her eyes and groaned loudly as she squeezed Rei's hand with crushing force.

"Are you having another contraction?" Rei asked.

"Yes." Minako moaned in pain, squeezing her eyes closed as she squirmed a little on the bed.

"Okay. Just breathe." Rei said calmly. "You'll get through it."

"The good news is that you appear to be fully dilated now." The doctor said. "You can start pushing."

Minako's body tensed as she tried to push for the first time.

"Relax. Work with your contractions." The doctor said. "Don't try to force it. Push when it feels natural to do so."

For the next hour, Minako pushed with each contraction, making progress little by little as the first baby began to make her way out. Sweat dripped down Minako's forehead and face as well as drenched her hair. She held on tightly to Rei's hand, squeezing hard with each contraction.

"You're doing great." Rei said. "Keep it up."

"We're almost there." The doctor said. "Give us one more good, strong push."

Minako pushed with all of her strength and the first baby dropped into the doctor's ready and waiting hands.

"Perfect." The doctor said, quickly handing the baby to the nurse. "Wonderful job. Now let's work on the second one."

"I can't do that again." Minako groaned, breathing hard, feeling only slight relief after the first baby had been born.

"Yes, you can. You can do this." Rei said, running her fingers through Minako's soaked hair. "You're one of the strongest women I know."

"Keep pushing, honey." The queen said, taking Minako's other hand. "You're almost through this. It'll be over soon."

Minako squeezed both her mother and Rei's hands with all of her might as she pushed hard and pushed several more times over the course of the next fifteen minutes. With one last push, Minako felt incredibly relieved as the second baby was finally born. Minako collapsed back against the bed, sweating and breathing heavily.

"You did wonderful, sweetheart." The queen said, as she gently dabbed the sweat from her daughter's forehead with a small towel.

"I knew you could do it." Rei smiled, placing her hand on Minako's cheek.

"Are the babies okay?" Minako asked, concerned. "I want to see them."

"Soon, honey." The queen said. "The doctor and nurse are getting them cleaned up right now."

After a few minutes the doctor and nurse returned to Minako's bedside.

"Are you ready to meet your gorgeous, healthy baby girls?" The doctor asked. "Here." The doctor handed one of the babies to Minako and the nurse handed the other to Rei.

Minako couldn't take her eyes off of the baby as she gently cradled her first-born daughter in her arms. The baby had dark, piercing amethyst eyes that were identical to Rei's as well as a head full of black hair that stuck straight up in every direction. The baby that Rei was holding was blonde with the deepest, bluest eyes that Rei had ever seen.

"God. She looks just like you, Rei." Minako smiled at the baby in her arms as a few tears began to fall from her cheeks.

"And this one looks exactly like you." Rei smiled too, gently rocking her newborn daughter in her arms. "Look at her. She's beautiful. Just like her mother."

"They're gorgeous." The queen said, placing her hand on Minako's shoulder.

"We're so lucky." Rei leaned down and happily pressed her lips to her wife's.

"While the four of you get acquainted, I'll go tell your father the good news." The queen said.

"Here." Rei gently transferred the baby in her arms to her wife so that she could hold both of the babies together. "They should both get to know you."

"I can't believe I just had twins." Minako said through her tears, looking from one baby to the other. "I love them both so much already."

"So do I." Rei agreed, placing her hand on the dark-haired baby's head and gently stroking her hair with her thumb. "And you were incredible. I'm so proud of you, Minako."

"I'm so glad you were here with me." Minako said. "I couldn't have done without you."

After just a few minutes, the queen returned to the room, with the king following closely behind.

"Hi, daddy." Minako smiled, looking up at her father. "Meet your first grandchildren."

The king couldn't hold back a smile as he looked at both of the babies in his daughter's arms.

"Oh Minako. They're beautiful." The king said as he leaned down to kiss his daughter's forehead. "Are you doing all right, sweetheart?"

"I'm fine. The babies are healthy, Rei's here. You and mom are here. I couldn't be happier."

"They're so tiny." The king said as he reached out and gently held the hand of one the one of the babies.

"Would you like hold one of them?" Minako asked.

"Could I?" The king asked.

"Of course you can." Minako said happily.

The king carefully lifted the dark haired baby from Minako and gently cradled her in his arms.

"You should be so proud." The king said, looking at Rei.

"I definitely am." Rei nodded. "I can't even tell you."

"She looks so much like you, Rei." The king said. "I certainly hope she grows up to possess the same strength, loyalty and perseverance that I've seen and come to respect so much in you."

"Thank you." Rei said. "That means a lot."

"We must announce the births to the entire kingdom immediately." The king said, proudly.

"It's the middle of the night." The queen said. "It can wait until morning. For now, let's just all enjoy this time we have together as a family."


End file.
